Taking care of children’s teeth

Many young parents in recent times ask the question "When should I bring my child to the dentist for the first time?" It does not matter that the milk teeth will be changed, visiting the dentist is the most important thing for the teeth health of the child. Even one untreated tooth can lead to unpleasant and serious consequences.



In some cases, the child should be consulted by the dentist during the first three months of its life. The reason for such an early visit can be the fact that the child was born with a tooth in the mouth. In this case, it is good the tooth to be thinned or polished, because it is very likely to harm the mother’s breast during lactation. Another reason may be restrained front frenulum of the tongue. The frenulum is the link located under the tongue. If this link is too big it will not allow the child to eat normally, because it will not be able to move its tongue.



It is good after every meal to rinse the child’s mouth with water. Thus the food residue will be removed and the possibility of formation of fungus and bacteria will be reduced. Rinsing the child’s mouth does not allow the waste of food to decompose and form acidic environment in the mouth, which is often the cause of caries.



The first visit to the dentist should be when the child is about 1.5 years old. Then the dentist will check the correct break of teeth and whether they are already affected by caries. This type of caries is called early childhood caries. If it is found on time, getting worse can be prevented.



The fact is that the oral hygiene of children should begin long before the first appearance of the tooth. Initially, the parents should clean the erupted teeth and the whole oral cavity. This is done with gauze soaked in hydrogen peroxide and water. You should do this after the last meal of the day, in order to prevent residues of food left in the mouth at night.



When the child is already 2 years old, it should receive its first toothbrush. Now the market has a large assortment of brushes but it is better for the child to choose toothbrush for children. Choose also appropriate toothpaste.



You should constantly show and help your child in brushing its teeth. Thus it will become its habit. Of course, it is hard for the child to handle the toothbrush so you should help it until it gets to the age of six and can handle it properly.



It is important for the child to visit the dentist every 6 months. Caries amongst children develops very quickly.



For more information about caries and how you can prevent it, click on the link. The word for tooth decay in Danish is Huller i tænderne and if you want to find out how you can deal with it, click here. Although the websites are in Danish, you can use Google Translator to understand them.