Why it’s important to teach your child good oral hygiene

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month--an important time to focus on and teach your child the necessity of good oral hygiene. Maintaining a healthy mouth is vital for all ages, but is especially essential for youngsters when their mouth is vulnerable and adult teeth are coming in. In fact, more than half of children will be affected by tooth decay before the age of five, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Poor oral hygiene can also lead to future health issues and costly bills, something that can be difficult to explain to a child, but can also be prevented or reduced with the proper care.

Brushing at least twice a day and regular flossing can seem like an unnecessary chore to kids. Here are some ways to teach your children good oral hygiene habits and the importance of a healthy mouth: 

Be a good role model.  Kids learn from example, so be sure that they see their parents regularly brushing and flossing. Show them how long to brush, what areas and the best way to floss. Explain that brushing will get rid of bacteria while flossing gets all of the food and gunk out of your teeth. You may want to help your kids with flossing until they get the hang of it.

Make it fun.  Oral hygiene doesn’t have to be boring. Teach your kids about the importance of oral hygiene with fun activities. For example, putting an egg in soda for 24 hours will stain it and show what sugar can do to enamel. Encourage your children to brush the egg with toothpaste and explain what happened to the egg and what happens in the mouth. Other activities and worksheets are available online for continued education.

Motivate with music. Everyone should brush for at least two full minutes, but unfortunately that is rarely the case. To teach kids to brush thoroughly and take their time, music can be a great motivator. Check out the information on our Family Services page that includes a link to a list of songs for kids to brush to.

Schedule regular cleanings. Staying accountable is an important part of teaching your child good oral hygiene. Make sure to book regular teeth cleanings to build a positive relationship between your child and their dentist.

Explaining to kids what cavities and gum disease are beginning at an early age and meeting with a dentist to learn what the treatment is like will help them keep oral hygiene a priority. Challenge your kids to take the 2-2-2 pledge in the month of February and beyond: Brush twice a day for two minutes and floss twice a day. Healthy treats and fun outings can be rewards for good oral hygiene. Instilling good habits with your children from the beginning will stick with them as they become adults,  and ultimately help determine their future health.

Children should begin to visit the dentist regularly by the age of 3. At Artistic Dental we provide comprehensive dental care for all ages. To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. John Dougherty or Dr. Prabhidi Adhikari, contact us today at (602) 840 – 5400.

Why it’s important to develop Good Dental Hygiene Habits Young

It’s easy to imagine the effects that sweets and sugary drinks have on children’s dental health. Genetics play a major role in a child’s oral health as well. If you have gum disease, it is more likely your child will develop it too. Teaching children proper dental hygiene habits is the most effective step a parent can take to help children learn prevention care.  February is Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month, making it a great time to start, if you haven’t already.

For infants, you can start to teach cleaning habits as soon as the teeth emerge by rubbing the appearing teeth using a warm washrag. By six months the bottom row of teeth begin to appear, and by twelve months the top teeth will grow in, if they haven’t already. It’s recommended that children see the dentist by the first birthday to ensure the teeth are growing in properly.  As children grow are older they can begin brushing teeth more and more on their own.

Did you know if you are just brushing your teeth, you are only cleaning 70% of teeth surfaces? That is why it is also important to teach children to add flossing and a fluoride rinse to their routine. You can start teaching your child flossing habits as soon as the teeth start touching to make sure all the nooks and crannies are kept clean.

Having children visit the dentist while they are young will also help prevent dental anxiety.  Establishing a routine, as well help to ensure the teeth are growing in healthy.

Tips on teaching better dental hygiene habits:

• Supervise a child’s brushing to ensure proper technique is being used and implemented.

• Pick a song that lasts about 2 minutes to make brushing fun and meet the recommended time for brushing.

• Let kids pick out their own toothbrush

• Try an electronic toothbrush with a built-in music player or timer that can be set to 2-minutes

• Take turns and show children how you brush

Not sure if you’re brushing your teeth the right way? Stop in to have our dental staff give you and your child a quick lesson up on proper brushing and flossing techniques. It may take some time to get the routine down but investing the time and effort teaching children good dental have will have lasting results and lead to a healthier life.

Do Raisins Cause Cavities?

As we say good-bye to another holiday season filled with rich meals and goodies, and get back to eating more regularly, it’s a good time to consider the foods that are good and bad for our teeth. One of the most heavily contested of these foods is raisins, a staple snack for many children

In the past, it was fairly simple to categorize the types of foods that would be most likely to promote cavities – those that are especially sticky, and those rich in sugar. Raisins hit both of these classifications, and as such were considered to be cavity culprits.

However, Dr. Christine Wu led a study at the University Of Illinois College Of Dentistry in an attempt to better understand exactly how raisins affected oral health. In an article on Registered Dental Hygienist, Stacey Bell acknowledges that in Wu’s study “Even though raisins contained the highest sugar content of all foods tested (68% sugar), they were less acidogenic than bran cereal with raisins and added sugar. When raisins were added to bran, the acidity was lower than bran flakes alone, suggesting that raisins help enhance clearance of chewed bran particles from the teeth.”

Despite their bad reputation, Bell points out that raisins are a food that rank relatively low on the cariogenic (cavity causing) spectrum, and one that in many studies are known to combat plaque-causing bacteria buildup on the surface of teeth. Additionally, one of the worst things to be done after eating sugar-heavy foods involves letting the remnants linger on the teeth.

So, when it comes to transitioning back to your year-round diet, you might want to take a look at the hidden benefits of one of nature’s sweeter snacks. With Children’s Dental Awareness Month just around the corner, it’s important we impart these great habits early on.