Many patients visit our office looking for advice on how to establish a lifetime of dental health for their children. At Design Dental, we see patients of all ages, including children. Dr. Tu and our compassionate team are here to help you ensure your child’s dental health.
Establishing good oral health habits from a young age can greatly improve lifelong dental habits. Here are our best tips for parents looking to encourage their children to take good care of their smiles:
Keep Healthy Snacks Around
Many children suffer from dental decay due to the types of foods that they eat. Foods like potato chips, gummy fruit snacks, or hard candies are notoriously tough on your teeth. Additionally, beverages like highly acidic juices or sodas can cause just as much damage. These types of snacks leave behind residue on your child’s teeth services and cause plaque and tartar buildup.
Additionally, acids can wear away at your child’s enamel, leaving them even more at risk for cavities. To help prevent this, a good thing for parents to do is keep healthy snacks around. Foods like baby carrots, fruit smoothies, or yogurts are great, kid-friendly snacking solutions. These snacks are not only delicious, but they also offer a variety of dental health benefits to help them continue to develop strong and healthy teeth.
Encourage Brushing and Flossing
As your child’s teeth begin to develop, it’s important that you begin showing them how to care for their teeth as soon as possible. When they are able to brush and floss on their own, show them how to do so properly. Make sure they know to practice brushing at all angles, not just moving the brush side to side. Additionally, hold them accountable for brushing and flossing at least twice a day. This is a great habit to encourage because it will always be in the back of their minds as they begin to grow up. Brushing and flossing is the first line of defense against dental concerns, so ensuring that your child starts learning how to care for their own teeth as soon as possible is a great way to set them up for a lifetime of good dental health.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
We recommend scheduling your child’s first dental appointment by the eruption of their first baby tooth or by their first birthday. During these early appointments, we will begin to get to know your child and evaluate their tooth development. These appointments are great for many reasons. They help your child adapt to the dental chair so that by the time they need their first real dental cleaning, they are comfortable and calm.
Additionally, they allow dentists to give parents a head start on monitoring and treating any underlying dental concerns. If you are searching for a family dentist in North Liberty, Iowa City, Ceder Rapids, or a surrounding area, visit Design Dental. Dr. Tu is a highly trained and respected dentist who is committed to helping patients improve their dental health. Schedule an appointment with our compassionate team online, and we look forward to seeing you soon.