Children are very susceptible to tooth decay but as a parent, you can stop this from happening by starting dental care early for your children. Icon Dental Center in Everett and Seattle recommends beginning with early dental care in children when they are as young as 6 months old.

As the child grows, you’ll have to introduce new care methods in the daily routine. If you’re not sure how to look after the dental health of your children, keep on reading below as we share the 5 most important things to do to protect your child’s teeth.

Start with Dental Checkup As Soon As Possible

• The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends taking your children to see a dentist as soon as they have had their first birthday. The earlier preventive care starts, the more you’ll be in control of the dental health of your child.

For a quick check-up, book an appointment with Icon Dental Center’s children’s dentistry department and let our top dentists in Everett take care of your child’s oral health needs. 

Don’t Let Your Child Nap With a Bottle in Their Mouth

• This is one of the most common mistakes new parents make. Leaving your infant with a milk bottle while they nap is very hazardous to their dental health. The sugar from the liquid such as milk, formula, or juice can quickly cling to the teeth and start feeding bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Make a habit of putting your child in bed without giving them bottled milk. Dentists recommend giving them a bottle filled with water if you can’t find an immediate alternative.

Don’t Feed Them Juice

• Although fruit or vegetable juice is considered healthy, dentists recommend against giving it too much to your child because it can gradually lead to tooth decay.

Only give about 4 ounces of 100% juice to your child on any given day. You can go for non-sugary drinks and foods to stop the sugar from clinging on their teeth. It is highly recommended to treat juice as a treat and not something that you would constantly feed your child with.

Pacifier is the Enemy

• Although there are many good reasons to give your child a pacifier, long term use is not recommended because it will affect how the teeth are formed and lined up. Excessive and long term use of pacifiers can also change the shape of the mouth of your baby.

Talk to your dentist today and get an individual recommendation for your child. Generally, it is advisable to take away the pacifier from your child when they enter their third year.

Continue With Brushing and Flossing

• Your child may put up a good fight when you try to get him/her to brush, floss, or rinse their teeth. Make sure you do not give up and make it clear that they have no other choice.

Be patient with your children and make brushing and flossing a fun activity in the family and children will naturally follow. Remember, you are his role model and everything you do will be followed by your child. So show them the importance of brushing their teeth by brushing your own teeth in front of them.

• You can also invest in a children’s toothpaste which is often better in taste and may attract a child to brush their teeth rather than fight it back. 

Keeping a look at the dental health of your child is very important for many reasons. With close attention to what goes in their mouth and how they take care of it, you can prevent tooth decay and any other underlying oral disease in children.