Teaching Your Child Good Oral Habits

As a parent, you know that caring for your child's teeth is important. However, knowing when and how to start is often difficult for many pediatric dentistryparents. At Cosmic Kids Dentistry in Lake Havasu, AZ, our dentist and dental staff have the information parents need to start their children on the path to proper oral hygiene habits. We walk you through some of the steps here.

Starting early

Starting with good oral hygiene from infancy can make a huge difference in your child's health. That's because they'll be accustomed to the textures and routine associated with cleaning their teeth even before their teeth have emerged. Your child's pediatric dentist suggests wrapping a soft washcloth or gauze pad around your index finger at bath time and gently wiping the upper and lower gum ridges.

Brushing

Once your child's first teeth have started to come in (usually sometime between 6 and 15 months), your Lake Havasu pediatric dentist recommends using a soft-bristled, child-sized toothbrush to carefully clean your baby's mouth. Use a very tiny amount of toothpaste - about the size of a grain of rice - to avoid any accidental swallowing.

Eating habits

Starchy and sweet foods can cause decay to form on your child's new teeth. Raisins, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and crackers should only be served at mealtimes and with a bottle or cup of water to help rinse away the food particles. Of particular concern is the practice of putting children down to sleep with a bottle of milk, formula or fruit juice due to the extended exposure the teeth will have to the sugars in these beverages. At Cosmic Kids Dentistry, we suggest only giving babies and young children a bottle of water at nap time or bedtime.

Part of maintaining good oral health is by establishing a relationship with your pediatric dentist. Believe it or not, we here at Cosmic Kids Dentistry in Lake Havasu, AZ, want to see your child by his or her first birthday! Contact us with any questions or to set up an appointment today.