Dental Health Checkpoints for Infants and Young Toddlers

Parents all over the world seem to avoid the all-important dental health of their little one. There is a misconception that a baby does not need a dental visit unless it has the proper set of molars and incisors in their mouth. On the contrary, infants and young toddlers need a planned dental check up and visits scheduled much like the adults.

Young children need their teeth and gums to be in prime health for various functions like their grown-up counterparts. These include eating, well-aligned and proper development of the jaw, ensure proper alignment and positioning of future adult teeth in place and for speaking. The latter can be understood from the need of teeth, tongue and the roof of the mouth for proper speaking.

If you have a young toddler or even a pre-teen in your home, ensure that he or she maintains proper dental habits and oral hygiene. There are a few checkpoints that help every parent or guardian to help children in keeping their teeth and gums in good condition. These checkpoints also help in developing early healthy eating and dental habits in children that stays with them for a long time to come.

Some important dental habits that need to be inculcated early in life include the following:

• Brush your little one’s teeth twice everyday; irrespective of their age. It is advisable to use fluoride toothpaste as they help in keeping cavities at bay. Start early with the brushing routine; the earlier to start the better!
• Keep helping your child to brush and cleaning their teeth until the time they can write their name properly. It’s a simple rule – no matter how much they convince you that they can brush on their own, continue to supervise and guide them while brushing.
• Always use a soft and small toothbrush that easily fits into your child’s mouth. The bristles should be soft to avoid harming their soft gums and palate.
• Avoid putting a lot of toothpaste on your child’s toothbrush. Start with as small as a pea-sized amount of toothpaste that is just enough to clean their teeth.
• The quality and fluoride content of the toothpaste plays a key role in preventing the development of cavities and their further damage.
• Floss daily but only once the teeth brushing is well established for your kid.
• Maintain good eating habits as well. Avoid giving chocolates or sweet dishes late in the night or first thing in the morning.

Dental Visit

Plan your child’s first dental visit as soon as the first teeth erupts or at least by their first birthday. It is important to keep the oral hygiene and health under the right guidance and supervision of a qualified dentist.

If your child is already a pre-teen, there are chances of development of plaque and even cavities. To avoid such dental problems and toothaches, schedule a dental visit every 6 months or bi-annually.