That perfect smile: Start early
View(s):Setting up a good routine for dental hygiene early on should put children on the right path for caring for their teeth as they grow up, as well as creating a healthy environment for their adult teeth to grow in to.
Milk or first teeth act as space-savers for adult teeth. If they are lost early through decay, adult teeth can drift – leading to a greater likelihood of corrective braces later.
Because milk teeth have a thinner covering of enamel than adult teeth, they decay more easily. According to the latest British Government survey, more than 40 per cent of under-fives have some form of tooth decay, with 12 per cent already having one filling or more.
Most babies get their first tooth at between six and nine months, although it’s not uncommon for this to be a few months earlier or later.
Birmingham-based NHS dentist Dr Janet Clarke, a spokeswoman for the British Dental Association, advises parents to start cleaning as soon as the first tooth begins to cut through. Use a tiny spot of baby toothpaste on your little finger, rather than a brush.
‘At this stage it’s all about getting the child used to the idea and establishing a habit very early on so that it becomes a part of the getting-up and going-to-bed routine,’ she says.
As more teeth emerge, parents can graduate to a soft-headed baby toothbrush. Make sure you choose an age-appropriate toothpaste – those for younger children will have milder flavours and contain the correct amount of fluoride.
Babies should no longer be using a bottle by the time they are one because the teats encourage them to suck for a long time, which can mean the drinks that cause decay can stay in contact with their teeth for a long time.
If they still have a drink of milk at bedtime at this age, Dr Clarke advises brushing their teeth afterwards – not before – and never leaving the bottle in their cot.
While the advice used to be to rinse after brushing, dental professionals now advocate the ‘spit- don’t-rinse’ approach. Two minutes of brushing twice a day is recommended, but Dr Clarke points out that this is a long time for babies and toddlers and that your main focus should be on systematically brushing all the surfaces of each tooth rather than clocking up the minutes.
Courtesy Daly Mail, UK
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