AGE 1-10

How to teach your child correct oral and dental care

Too often parents let their children get away with such little tricks when they’re young. After all, think the parents, they’re only the milk teeth and they don’t last anyway.

But although it’s true that milk teeth only last till the child is between 8 to 12 years old, what many parents do NOT realize is that the health of permanent teeth is very dependent on the health of those first milk teeth.

Healthy teeth are precious but fragile asset for any child. Parents should not neglect their care at any stage. After the child is more than two or three years old his/her teeth should be brushed after every meal, particularly after the evening meal. Of course initially the brushing must be performed by the parents, and the children taught to take over as they get older.

THE RIGHT WAT TO BRUSH THEIR TEETH

The whole purpose of brushing one’s teeth is to remove a potentially destructive substance called dental plaque. It is procedure which would be carried out twice every day, and done thoroughly. That means using the correct technique. 

Here’s how dentists suggest it be done:

1.    Never brush the teeth of the upper and lower jaws simultaneously, always do just one jaw at a time.

2.    Observe a fixed brushing routine so as not to forget anything. Make sure you clean the back teeth thoroughly, and in behind the incisors.

3.    Direct your toothbrush carefully: start from the gum and work at an angle 45 °. Remember that the effectiveness of brushing depends on careful cleaning of the sulcus, inter dental spaces and the neck of each tooth.

4.    Develop a good brushing motion: always use a rotating movement, upward for the lower teeth and downward for the upper teeth.

MOI method for kids:

M=Masticatory surfaces: brush with small horizontal movements. Start at the back and brush slowly towards the front.

O= Outer surfaces: clean them with small circular movements.

I= Inner surfaces: use small up and down movements.

TIPS:

Don’t forget that comprehensive dental care for your children also includes:

·       A visit to the dentist for a checkup at least twice a year.

·       Encouraging good eating habits i.e. prohibit excessive sugar intake and snacks between meals.

A PRIZE…..FOR THE BRIGHTEST TEETH!

From the moment those first teeth come up, it’s time for mum to introduce her child to correct dental care. Important factors are the correct size and type of toothbrush, the right brushing technique and the use of fluoride tooth paste.