Well-groomed and healthy teeth are not only beautiful, but also necessary for our body. Therefore, you need to start taking care of them before the dairy baby has appeared. And as soon as the first tooth came out - it was time to clean it.
Many people think that brushing milk teeth is not necessary, because they will all the same be replaced. But actually it is not. Their enamel is weak, which means that there is a high risk that it will be affected by caries.
It is worth noting that even breastfeeding in this case is not a panacea - after all, breast milk also contains a certain amount of sugar. Therefore, caries can be found in any child, regardless of whether he receives complementary foods or not, feeds on his mother's milk or artificial mixtures. The factors of caries development are manyand poor baby's oral hygiene is not the last of them.
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What is dangerous caries for baby
Caries is dangerous because the affected teeth of the child become a source of infection that spreads down the body and can cause very dangerous diseases. In addition, neglected caries is always painful, it is hard to chew food with a sore tooth. Of course, the dentist will help the baby, but, firstly, in this case it is unlikely that the acquaintance will be pleasant, and secondly, in some cases the baby tooth will have to be removed, and removal before the time will break the bite formation, provoke permanent curvature contributes to speech defects.
To avoid such troubles in the life of the baby, brush your teeth to start as early as possible. Of course, a small child will not do it himself, parents must do it. Many do not know how to do it, or are afraid. A video can come to the rescue where the process is shown in detail. You can also visit a dentist who will explain how to brush your baby’s teeth using visual aids or various training videos.
When to start brushing your teeth
The first teeth appear about 6 months. Dentists believe that care should begin before they appear, since microorganisms are always accumulated in the oral cavity, because of which various diseases can develop - gingivitis, candidiasis, stomatitis. Therefore, the baby must regularly wipe the gums, tongue and the inside of the cheeks.
In addition, the sooner oral hygiene begins, the faster the child will become a habit, the child will not be afraid of the brush.
It is best to start brushing when the tooth is cut - that is, a peak has appeared from the gums. This is done
- brushing
- special fingertip,
- special wipes with disinfectants;
- a bandage / gauze pad (but not cotton!) soaked in boiled water.
But at this moment the care of the teeth of the child slightly complicated:
- immunity in the oral cavity during eruption decreases;
- a wound forms around the cutting tooth, gums become inflamed, and care can be painful.
Therefore, it is better to choose soft products with disinfectant properties.
Brushes and pastes for children
After half a year, the ejection reflex disappears in the baby, and you can replace wipes and tampons with silicone brushes that are put on your finger, or ordinary toothbrushes with soft bristles and a cleaning surface. no more than two children's teeth. Parents can gently, gently, gently and carefully clean the mouth of the child without causing him pain.
At the same time, it's time to start using toothpaste. For the smallest there is:
- gel paste: it has a milky taste or tasteless, does not contain abrasive substances, it is recommended for children who are not yet receiving complementary foods;
- fruit-flavored pasta: recommended for children already receiving complementary foods.
Self cleaning
Teach yourself to brush your teeth can be from two years. But already from the year you can teach a child to hold a brush. To do this correctly, parents must first learn how to brush their teeth, and then show the necessary movements to the baby. If parents are not sure that they can explain the teeth brushing rules to a child, they can show him a video - for example, funny cartoons, where the hero demonstrates how to hold the brush properly, how to clean her teeth, how to rinse your mouth.
Parents should teach children that cleaning twice a day is not a formality or a ritual, it is an important part of maintaining health. They can, on their own or with the help of a video, explain to the child how dangerous caries is, which can be caused by poor oral hygiene and uncleaned (badly or improperly cleaned) teeth.
Basic rules for cleaning so that the teeth are healthy:
- brushing teeth should be at least twice a day, morning and evening;
- each cleaning of the child should last at least 2-3 minutes;
- brush should be kept at the teeth at an angle of 45 degrees;
- sweeping movements from the gum to the top of the tooth are made with a brush; in no case should it be moved in a horizontal direction - this can damage the enamel, especially in milk teeth, which is very weak in a child;
- brushing your teeth is necessary not only outside, but also from the inside and the side;
- chewing surface should be cleaned in a circular motion;
- the tongue also needs to be cleaned - the reverse, rough side of the brush is designed for this;
- After cleaning, mouth should be rinsed.
To better consolidate the result, parents should closely follow the cleaning process and help, until they are convinced that the child is doing everything correctly. Do not forget about a personal example, because children love to imitate adults! If a baby sees how mom and dad brush their teeth in the morning and in the evening, they will get used to it very quickly.
And, of course, visual drawings and videos that demonstrate the rules for brushing your teeth and the risk of caries are very useful in teaching your child about oral hygiene.