Table of contents:
- When do children start brushing their teeth?
- Is it okay to use toothpaste when the child starts brushing their teeth?
- Is fluoride toothpaste safe if a child swallows it?
- Care for the baby's mouth before the first teeth come out
- Don't forget to take your child to the dentist
Maintaining oral and dental hygiene is important and should be instilled as early as possible in children. The earlier you teach it, the easier it will be for your child to do it as a routine. One of the main ways to maintain the health of the oral cavity is by brushing your teeth. Then, when is the right time for children to start brushing their teeth?
When do children start brushing their teeth?
Dental care for children should begin when their first teeth grow at the age of 5-7 months. When the first tooth has just stuck to the gum, you can clean it first with gauze or a clean, slightly damp cloth. Later, when the first teeth begin to grow fully, you can start brushing your child's teeth.
However, there are some doctors who recommend that you start brushing your child's teeth when the child's teeth reach the age of about 7 months or the first 4 teeth have grown. Others suggest delaying until the child is 2-3 years old.
Choose a child's toothbrush with soft bristles, a small head, and a large handle. Parents are advised to continue to support the process of brushing their teeth until your child can rinse and spit without assistance.
This mentoring process is usually carried out until the children are around six years old. After that age, children can be allowed to brush their teeth independently.
Make it a habit to brush your teeth regularly twice a day, namely in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed.
Just take you and your child about two minutes to brush your teeth together. If it has been used since an early age, it will be easier for your child to brush their teeth regularly.
Is it okay to use toothpaste when the child starts brushing their teeth?
According to previous recommendations, you can only add toothpaste containing fluoride to brush children's teeth after they are about two years old.
However, based on the latest recommendations, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends using toothpaste containing fluoride to prevent cavities starting from the first teeth appear rather than waiting until the age of two years.
What you need to pay attention to as a parent is about how much toothpaste is used in children according to their age, such as:
- Children under 3 years old (toddler): the use of toothpaste is enough to apply a little or the size of a grain of rice on the surface of the toothbrush.
- Children aged 3-6 years: the use of toothpaste can be more or less the size of corn kernels on the surface of the toothbrush.
Basically, the use of toothpaste containing fluoride should not be swallowed. Therefore, you need to continue to accompany children when they start brushing their teeth.
Give the child stimulation to spit, for example by tilting the child's head while brushing their teeth so that the remaining toothpaste can come out on its own.
Is fluoride toothpaste safe if a child swallows it?
You don't need to worry if your child swallows only a small amount of toothpaste. Quoted from Journal of The American Dental Association, the fluoride content in the recommended dosage of children's toothpaste is still below the safe threshold for the human body, which is 0.05 mg per kilogram per day.
However, if a child accidentally swallows more than the recommended dose of toothpaste, maybe this can irritate the digestive system.
As first aid, provide food or drinks with a high calcium content, such as milk or yogurt. This is because calcium can bind fluoride in the stomach.
Some parents may be concerned about the risk of fluorosis, which is the appearance of white stains on the surface of the teeth as a result of the body absorbing too much fluoride. You can just use a special toothpaste for children that has a non-fluoride label.
But this toothpaste is certainly not as effective as toothpaste that contains fluoride in preventing cavities in children's teeth. So make sure, you always observe his condition during the use of toothpaste and carry out routine checks to the doctor.
Care for the baby's mouth before the first teeth come out
Caring for baby teeth can actually be done even since their teeth have not grown. Some of the techniques you can use to clean your baby's mouth before their first teeth come out include:
- Wash your hands thoroughly, then wrap your index finger in gauze or a clean cloth dampened with warm water.
- Clean or gently wipe the baby's gums gently with gauze or a damp cloth.
- Perform this technique of cleaning the baby's mouth regularly or after breastfeeding.
This method is done to remove the bacteria that cause plaque in the mouth and teeth that will grow later. It can also improve your child's oral health.
Don't forget to take your child to the dentist
Apart from teaching children to start brushing their teeth, you also need to take your child to the dentist. This is also an effort to protect children's dental health and an introductory step so that children are not afraid to go to the dentist.
No need to wait for cavities or damaged teeth to see a dentist. If there is no problem with the child's teeth, the child should still go to the dentist.
Usually a child's first visit to the dentist begins at the age of one year or after his first tooth appears. After the first visit, schedule another visit every six months.
