Beyond the Tooth Fairy

Good dental care starts very young

Time to brush

Damon of Northampton gets ready to use his #1 dental tool, Mr. Toothbrush.

Toothbrushing Tips

• Use a soft brush.
• Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle to the gum.
• Brush with circular motions, section by section.
• Brush for two minutes.
• Spit out all toothpaste.
• Brush every morning and night.
  
  

It’s “only a baby tooth,” you say? Those first little teeth are more important than many parents realize. “Healthy baby teeth lay the groundwork for good digestion,” says Marsha Gordon, D.D.S., pediatric dentist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. (Pediatric dentists have two additional years of specialty training.) Baby teeth also hold the spaces for permanent teeth, and a decayed or missing baby tooth can interfere with learning correct speech. Here’s how to get your child started on good dental care:

Start cleaning teeth as soon as they come in. For babies, use a washcloth or small soft toothbrush. A toddler may want to brush his own teeth, but after your child’s had a chance to practice, brush his teeth thoroughly yourself. “It can take until age 8 or 9 before a child can do a good job on his own,” Gordon says.

Begin flossing as soon as your child’s teeth come together, around age 5 or 6.

Bring your child for a first dental checkup at age 1. “That may sound early,” Gordon says, “but we’re seeing 2-year-olds with many cavities.”

Watch the sugar intake. Sugars in candy and sweetened drinks stay on teeth for hours, and bacteria turn them into tooth-damaging acid. “How often your child ingests sugar is much more important than how much,” Gordon says. “Give sweets only after a meal, not multiple times a day, and brush afterward.”

Don’t put your little one to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. Calcium-rich foods like milk are critical for strong tooth formation, but milk and juice contain their own sugars that stay on teeth.

Use fluoride appropriately. It strengthens the tooth structure, but swallowing too much can make teeth spotted. Children under age 3 shouldn’t use fluoride toothpaste (they often swallow more than they spit out), and children over age 3 need only a small dab. If your water isn’t fluoridated, ask your dentist about fluoride tablets or treatments.

If a tooth gets knocked out — If it’s a permanent tooth, gently rinse off any dirt, place the tooth back in the socket and take the child immediately to the dentist. “Permanent teeth have a good chance of survival if reimplanted quickly,” Gordon says. If it’s a baby tooth, don’t try to re-insert the tooth before going to the dentist. That could injure the permanent tooth bud beneath.

Want to Know More about caring for your child’s teeth? Click here.

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