Dental health care is very fundamental for children overall health. It can affect children functional, social dimension and psychological well being. Oral health should be fun and more educative. Oral health for children should be encouraged and children should take ownership ignored to enjoy it. Dental challenges can make children miss school and also drop out. Also, there is evidence poor dental health can lead to iron deficiency, low weight among other health-related issues. Sometime children might forget to brush but they should always be reminded to do so before they go to bed. There are different toothbrush design and size depending on age of children. Help your children select the right toothbrush which suits them. The following are ways to encourage children take care of their dental health;
Let children do it
The children should take lead in tooth brushing their teeth. This means they will enjoy taking care of their dental health since they understand and enjoying doing it. Give them opportunity to select toothpaste and toothbrush of their choice. Children will prefer beautiful toothbrush and flavored toothpaste like strawberry, vanilla among other Let them buy what they want regarding their dental care though you have to support them select the right toothpaste. Brushing should not be made a requirement or an option but should be made a healthy lifestyle. Teach children good dental daily habits and they will adopt them. For example avoiding eating sugary foods, brushing teeth at least twice in a day, using the right amount of brushing toothpaste and maintaining toothbrush.
Schedule dentist dental checkup
Always have a regular visit to the children dentist. Make the trip fun and the children will always be looking forward to it. The dentist will check the children gums & tooth in case they have affected him or she will refer the child to a special children dentist. As part of dental health care and follow-up the doctor will check if the child’s teeth are growing normally and if there is a dental challenge. The dentist will be friendly and will educate the children on how to take care of their tinny teeth. The first dentist visit should during their birthday or when the if first tooth comes out. Also, visiting the dental specialist will ensure children access preventive health care.
Have teeth brushing reminders
The children should brush their teeth at least twice a day. As a parent you should come up with fun routines games to encourage your children to brush and take care of their dental health. You can have a routine evening reminder which includes bathing, eating, brushing among others. The routine can work for children but encourage them to put toys away during brushing time. Also, supervise them as they brush and check out if they might have cavities or white or brown spots which are signs of tooth decay. To make the routine more interesting you can involve everyone in the family to ensure you have designated brushing time.