DENTAL CARE

Tooth care for Toddlers
A healthy mouth is important to children as they grow up. Babies need healthy mouths - they use them to drink, eat, speak, cry and smile. Good mouth care from birth sets the pattern for healthy teeth for life.

Strong Teeth
The surfaces of teeth have a hard protective coating of enamel. Fluoride is a substance that helps to strengthen the enamel and makes teeth more resistant to attack. In some areas, fluoride is present in the water supply, but if not, your dentist will tell you whether fluoride drops are needed.

Brushing up
Fluoride is also found in most toothpastes, so using one of these is important. The parents should get the child used to the feel of a small, soft toothbrush preferably before the first teeth appear and then the taste of toothpaste introduced. A small, pea-sized amount is enough, as fluoride in large amounts can discolour the teeth. The child should be encouraged to spit out any excess rather than swallow it.
Gradually, the child should be allowed to try brushing by themselves. Parents should be there to supervise, and clean the teeth yourself once a day until about age six. Up to this age, they do not have the physical skills to do a thorough job.

Getting the Balance
When food is eaten, bacteria in the mouth act on the sugars present (packet sugars, fruit sugars and honey), and on some starchy processed foods (e.g. crisps, crackers and savoury snacks), to produce acid.
Saliva helps to wash away the acid but frequent snacking means that acid is produced for longer periods of time. This can eventually lead to decay.
Growing active children need to eat regularly and to include some high calorie foods. Sugar-containing foods are a source of energy but take care not to give them too often. It is best to limit food and drinks containing sugars to meal times.

Drink Up
Drinks such as fruit juices, squashes and fizzy drinks should not be sipped over a long period of time or put in a feeding bottle. Consumed in this way they can promote

tooth decay and the natural acidity of the drink can wear down the enamel directly (even if sugar free). It is best to encourage the child to drink from a cup as soon as possible, because there is less chance for liquids to pool around the teeth than with a bottle.
Parents should try to avoid giving drinks at bedtime, because saliva flow is reduced during sleep, so the acid has a better chance of attacking the teeth. Water is the best drink to give in between meals or at bedtime.

Use the babies bottles with care
If teeth are bathed in sweet drinks or even milk for long periods of time, tooth decay can develop. This is because the mouth bacteria can use the sugars in these liquids to produce acid.
When using feeding bottles, hold the baby until the feed is finished and never leave the baby propped up with a bottle, especially if they are likely to fall asleep. Apart from a risk of choking, during sleep, sweet liquids may pool around the teeth, and there is less saliva to wash away any acid produced.
If a feeding bottle is needed as a comforter between meals, fill it with water, and not squash, fruit juice, cow's milk or formula.

Teething and chewing
During teething, which occurs any time between 6 and 14 months, the gums tend to look red and puffy and you may be able to feel the tip of the tooth coming through. Teething rings and hard foods to gnaw on may soothe the gums.

Babies should be given finger foods, e.g. a small piece of cheese, to chew on as soon as they can grasp them. This helps to develop the muscles in the jaw and helps teeth grow straight. However avoid small hard foods like nuts which can cause choking.

The Dentist
Parents should not wait until their child has painful teeth before going to the dentist. A check-up with a dentist is important to make sure that their child's teeth are growing properly, to get their child used to going to the dentist and to get extra advice.

Always consult with your Dentist