Oral health in toddlers is a great way to ensure good oral health for a lifetime. Good dental health gives children the right foundation to maintain good health throughout their life. It is not just the health of the teeth that is safe guarded, correct speech development and getting optimum nutrition are also guaranteed.

Baby teeth fall off, so people usually have the misconception that they don’t need to be cared for. Many kids have their milk teeth even till the age of 12-13 years of age. Major bodily development and brain development take place in these formative years.

Baby food is predominantly sugary food and these can cause decay in the teeth. Very young children are known to have dental caries. Gum tissues and health can also be affected by bacterial action. If the gum lining loses their strength, then they are not in a position to help support adult teeth. So, it is important to care for your toddler’s oral health.

How to maintain oral health for toddlers

Follow the below tips to help your toddler maintain good oral health and hygiene.

1.   Schedule regular dental visits

Plan and schedule dental consultations as early as the first teeth appear, or if possible even before. How is the child’s oral makeup going to be, what kind of early care must be given for good oral health etc. are some important concerns that can be helped with these early consultations.

First-time parents might not be fully aware of how to care for infant and toddler oral health. These sessions will help them be prepared and look out for any discomfort in the child. It is just not teeth that need care, gums need to be taken care of as well. Investing in these early dental consultations will go a long way to saving money with later dental procedures in children.

2.   Types of food for your toddler

Baby food is high in sugar and this is also a cause of concern to good oral health. Sugary cereals, juices, milk are typically the staple food of kids. It is important to limit sugar content in their food. Switching to fruits or fruits puree rather instead juices, not adding extra sugar to the food are all healthy options.

Pay attention to food times as well. Replacing milk before nap and shifting to water will help reduce tooth decay. When food stays in the mouth and is not cleaned properly, bacterial action will start on the food debris in the mouth. This releases acids that can harm the teeth and bring about decay.

3.   Proper oral hygiene

Children must be taught the importance of clean teeth. Teaching them how to clean teeth helps promote overall health. Brushing can be taught with support from parents at an early age, later they can do it by themselves when they are ready. The same applies when teaching them to floss – this helps to get rid of food that is stuck between teeth. Brushes specially designed for kids are available in the market. Brightly coloured ones can be chosen according to your child’s preference and this will motivate them further to do the brushing.

4.   Using pacifiers and sippy cups

Growing up, kids resort to many habits as calming mechanisms. Many use pacifiers or sippy cups to calm themselves or when they are sleepy. Using pacifiers for a long can time can cause ear infections. Besides this it can also lead to teeth misalignment. Long term use will distort the normal alignment of the gums and teeth that are developed. This will then need dental procedures to correct them.

Similarly, using sippy cups is good as a short-term measure to wean kids from their bottles. Sippy cups being used over a long period of time can lead to decay on the back of the front teeth inviting more dental problems.

5.   Teaching good diet habits

Good oral habits are not limited to just learning to brush and floss. It also involves teaching them to eat good healthy food and not hoard junk food. Junk food contains a lot of empty carbs and too much sugar that can attract kids to consume them in larger quantities. But they must be taught what is considered good food/healthy food etc. Teaching them these and involving them in activities related to buying food will help to make sure that they have good oral health for a life time. Similar is the case of consuming too many sugary fizzy drinks – how sugar can damage teeth and bring decay and other related dental concerns must be discussed with children.

6.   Adequate fluoride

Fluoride that we need usually comes from the water we consume. The quantity of fluoride content though varies from place to place. Fluoride is especially needed for children as it helps to prevent decay and also reverse it.

Children get more protection from it especially the outer dental enamel. If children accidentally swallow a large amount of toothpaste then the excess fluoride is seen as whitish spots on the teeth. It is important to supervise the children when they are young to make sure that they don’t swallow toothpaste. Paternal supervision can be stopped once they are older. Dentists usually prescribe a toothpaste with high content of fluoride to people who have severe tooth decay.

Early dental consultations along with good oral hygiene practices will help to preserve good oral health in children. They should be guided on the importance of having good oral health and taught how it influences the overall health of a person. The do’s and don’ts of practicing hygiene, how to include them in everyday life can all be shared with children. This will surely help them in having good oral habits throughout their life.