Perhaps one of the hardest parts of parenting is encouraging your children to take care of their teeth. Even though maybe there is a toothpaste that tastes good, the actual brushing and flossing can often seem like a chore to a child. Without you ensuring that their teeth are brushed, they likely would simply skip the procedure altogether. That isn't good. While their baby teeth may fall out, they are developing bad habits about tooth care. When their adult teeth grow in, they'll still have those bad habits and ruin the only set of natural teeth that they have left. While dental implants are always an option, and you can easily find more information about them, it's always best to encourage your child to practice good oral health habits in order to keep their natural teeth first.
What To Watch Out For
One of the best ways that you can help your child grow healthy adult teeth is to simply keep an eye on them. Make sure that they brush every night and morning. Flossing is just as important as brushing their teeth alone isn't enough to remove the plaque between the teeth. It also helps keep their gums healthy. Besides just observing their brushing, you should also keep an eye out for any teeth grinding or clenching that they do in their sleep.
These two conditions can perform a lot of wear and tear on their teeth and jaw. If left untreated their oral health as a whole could decline. Their teeth could become brittle and their jaw might start to lose its integrity. Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa can equip your child with the equipment that they need to keep their teeth safe while they sleep.
Bad Habits To Break
There are quite a few bad habits that you should endeavour to break early in your child's life. Initially, you need to make sure that they don't slack off with brushing their teeth. You can reward them with a story or perhaps an extra few minutes of TV or gaming time after their teeth are brushed.
Besides that, it's also a bad habit not to visit your dental office regularly. Teeth cleaning by a professional is an essential part of maintaining good oral health and keeping their teeth healthy well into their adult life. It can also help keep an eye on any diseases or conditions that may sprout inside of your child's mouth that you wouldn't notice otherwise.
It's also a good idea to limit the amount of sugar and carbonated drinks that they ingest. Not only will this help reduce other health consequences, but these two items can wreak havoc on their teeth. Limiting it early will set a good habit for them in their adult life. They will be less prone to crave soda and sweets as they grow older and leave the nest.
Importance Of Proper Teeth Development
As previously mentioned, while their baby teeth will fall out eventually, the teeth that grow in next are the ones they will have for the rest of their life. If they want to limit their chance of needing to wear dentures or tooth loss in general, then they need to develop good dental habits early in life. You can help them with that.
If children do not take care of their teeth right from the start, they risk developing gum disease. This disease can cause tooth loss, pain, and could even affect the rest of their health. Without teeth, they won't be able to speak or chew as easily as before. They also tend to face social stigma. To correct these issues, they could face years of paying large costs in order to repair their dental health.
Recently, some researchers have begun to link gum disease and poor oral health with Alzheimer's. While a direct link has yet to be made, there does seem to be a relationship between the two. To prevent other conditions from developing due to poor oral health, you need to encourage your child to take care of their teeth. Protect your child's teeth by visiting visiting the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in South Ottawa. Contact us today to book an appointment and learn how to keep your child’s teeth in the best possible condition.
