At Dague Dental Solutions, we actively promote the importance of good oral health for children. This October, as we observe National Dental Hygiene Month, we are launching the Dague Dental Cavity Crusader Club. We’re all about turning kids into cavity-busters to fight tooth decay and cavities!
Some people have an underlying presumption that children’s oral health is not all that important. The basis for this belief is that permanent teeth will simply replace baby teeth anyway, so why worry. Even if the idea seems valid, it fails to consider that childhood is the ideal time to create lifelong habits. Moreover, it’s vital to understand that oral health has a direct impact on general well-being. A healthy child has a healthy mouth.
One of the oral health practices that need to be part of your child’s life as early as possible is brushing the teeth. Here’s why this is significant:
Brushing a child’s teeth is important for many reasons. Primary teeth keep your child’s jaw straight, hold the space for adult teeth, and play an important role in how children learn to chew, smile, and talk. Having healthy teeth will also help with confidence and participation in their education and social life. Establishing good oral health habits early on will help encourage lifelong patterns.
If your child’s teeth decay and have to be removed, it can cause other teeth to move, reducing space for adult teeth to come in. If poor oral habits continue, it’s much more likely that their adult teeth will decay. Read more at Oral B…
Clearly, creating a good dental hygiene regimen for your child is important. The earlier you begin to train your child, the better. We recommend beginning as soon as the first teeth appear, typically around the 6-month mark.
The habits that buttress dental hygiene in your child need to grow with them. Failure to begin and maintain a daily cleaning protocol has consequences that could harm your child’s oral health, as statistics reveal:
As you might guess, the number one dental problem among preschoolers is tooth decay.
- One-in-10 two-year-olds already have one or more cavities.
- By age three, 28% of children have one or more cavities.
- By age five, nearly 50% of children have one or more cavities.
As we noted above, too many parents assume that cavities in baby teeth don’t matter, and it’s simply not true. Dental decay in the first set of teeth can negatively affect permanent teeth and lead to future dental problems.
Teaching Good Dental Habits
The best way to protect your child’s teeth is to teach him good dental habits. With the proper coaching he’ll quickly adopt good oral hygiene as a part of his daily routine. However, while he may be an enthusiastic participant, he won’t yet have the control or concentration to brush his teeth all by himself. You’ll need to supervise and help him so that the brush removes all the plaque—the soft, sticky, bacteria- containing deposits that accumulate on the teeth, causing tooth decay. Also, keep an eye out for areas of brown or white spots which might be signs of early decay. Read more at Healthy Children…
As in all areas of life, your support in developing and maintaining your child’s oral health habits is critical. Constant reminders, encouragement, and even creative ways to motivate your child to keep at it are crucial.
Wondering how to get started? Well, here are some practical tips:
Establishing the Best Oral Hygiene Routine for Children
Here are some tips to help keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong starting at age 3:
- Use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste and make sure your child spits it out after brushing.
- Be sure your child brushes for at least 2 minutes twice a day.
- Start flossing as soon as teeth touch, or even earlier to help build good habits.
- Help your child brush and floss, and remind him or her to pay attention to the back teeth.
- Visit the dentist every 6 months. Read more at Dental Care…
Your child can become a member of our Cavity Crusader Club once he or she receives a healthy check-up from Dr. Dague. Alternatively, children can also become members of the club after their cavities have been treated. Club members adopt healthy dental habits, including brushing teeth twice daily, flossing daily, eating healthy snacks, brushing teeth immediately after a sugary snack, and visiting Dr. Dague for regular dental check-ups.
With your permission, we’ll take a photo of your child and post it on our Facebook page to encourage other children to take care of their teeth and join the club. Additionally, the children in the club will be entered in our monthly drawing for a prize of the winner’s choice from our prize box. Parents, help your children join the Cavity Crusader Club today and let’s teach them healthy dental habits for lifelong benefits.
If you have any questions, about our Cavity Crusader Club, your child’s dental care or pediatric dentistry in general, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can reach Dague Dental Solutions by phone at (563) 386-9770 or through the contact form on our website.