Everyone wonders when the right time to take your child to the dentist is, but the truth is your baby’s first visit to a family dentistry office should happen before your baby turns one. Almost one-half of all children have cavities by the time the are five or entering kindergarten. These problems can affect school since those with poor oral health habits are three times more likely to be absent from school compared to their peers. Parents should aid their children in brushing their teeth until age for to five, but should monitor brushing habits afterwards. Read below to see what information your child’s dentist wished more parents knew about their kids teeth.

Nighttime Feeding

Nighttime feeding to pacify an infant can damage teeth. The milk turns to sugar and can eat away at the enamel on teeth. Nighttime feedings are the worse because instead of the baby sucking and swallowing the milk, they fall asleep and the milk sits in their mouth on their teeth. Parents should actively feed babies at night time so that all milk is swallowed and doesn’t pool into baby’s mouth once they fall asleep. Six months is usually the time that parents typically see the first tooth appear, and that also is around the same time that solid foods are introduced to baby. This means a more solid diet allowing the baby to stay full longer especially at nighttime. This means around that age is a perfect time to wean babies from nighttime feedings.

Straws

Fruit juices and other drinks like soda contain both acid and sugar. This can be particularly nasty for your child’s teeth. These two go to work immediately on your child’s teeth and can immediately start damaging them. Using a straw to drink minimizes the time that these two things are surrounding the teeth. A straw eliminates a mouthful of these substances and smaller amounts are sipped and swallowed rather than drinking them straight from a cup.

Toothbrush Sizes

Toothbrush size and softness matters greatly for your child. Brushes that are too big can hurt your child’s gums and make them sore causing tooth brushing battles. Toothbrushes that are too hard can hurt the enamel on your young child’s teeth. This defeats the entire purpose of brushing teeth. The toothbrush packets typically tell you what size and how soft it is, but if you are in doubt ask your child’d dentist or visit a family dentistry office. They can offer advice for the right kind of toothbrush for your child.

Mouth Guards

Mouth guards are important for your child no matter what their age is. If your child plays sports then a mouth guard makes your family dentistry office happy. Mouth guards are the number one defense against breaking teeth and chipping or cracking them. Without a mouth guard your child could damage their adult teeth, the ones that they have for the rest of their lives. This can lead to expensive work in a family dentistry office and lots of money to get them fixed, more money than what a mouth guard costs.

Recognize Decay

Decay shows itself in a variety of ways, and being able to recognize these signs is important. Some important signs of decay include sensitivity to hold or cold drink and food. If sweet foods bother them that could be a sign as well. Sensitivity to pressure on the teeth is another sign of tooth decay. There are many causes of bacteria, but if not addressed and remedied then the decay can spread from one tooth to another tooth. While decay does not warrant emergency dental care, you should still make an appointment with your family dental office as soon as possible.

Knowing what to watch for in children’s teeth can help them have a healthy happy smile for years to come. Helping your child with proper oral care will go a long way to make them happy and your family dentistry office happy. Oral care is a lifelong skill you’re teaching your children so take it seriously and they will too.