If you don’t have dental insurance, you might take note of the cost for some of the more intense dental procedures that adults can face later in life. It’s like everything else in this world, prices go up as technology reinvents. Unfortunately, it’s not just adults who might be facing these procedures and bills, but your children as well.
There are so many things you can do to protect your children from troubles in their future, such as preparing them for financial prowess, instilling self-respect and discipline, and taking care of their overall health.
This includes dental health, which is becoming more important as everything around us changes from our diet to our environment. So, I am going to share with you some information that will help you in your quest to give your children their best chance for a great and healthy smile for life.
Start Yesterday!
It is never too early to start good dental hygiene. In fact, before the first tooth ever pops through you could prepare for a healthy dental future. A baby is typically born with their teeth already developed, even though not visible yet.
While they are an infant, take a damp cloth and run it over the gums after each feeding…even if it’s just the bottle or breast feeding of a newborn. This aids in diminishing risk of bacteria developing on the gums and damaging their teeth.
Once the teeth start to push through, brush them regularly with a soft toothbrush designed specifically for infants. Rubbing with a soft gauze material between brushings can help as well.
Good Habits Breeds Good Results
If your children develop good habits early on, it will go a long way in preventing serious dental issues later in life and having to see a cosmetic dentist. They stand a much better chance of good and long term dental health, when they practice good habits. Just keep in mind, these habits might include some encouragement and action on your part. They include:
- No Bedtime Bottle. As tempting as it is to calm a crying baby down with a bottle in the crib, it’s not healthy for their gums and teeth. This will lead to the beverage sitting on the gums and teeth and could instigate tooth decay.
- Regular Brushing. Make sure your child brushes after each meal, or at a minimum, twice a day. If it takes a reward system, then consider having one in place. The sooner they get in the habit of brushing, the better. There are flavored toothpastes for kids that might influence them as well.
- Flossing is Important. Flossing should also be done on a regular basis. It’s best to just have it a part of the brushing routine. This will help get to the places that a brush cannot reach, removing food particles and plaque, which can lead to problems later down the road.
- Rinsing after each meal. Just as with brushing and flossing, rinsing should also be done on a regular basis. It’s easy to do and should be done after each meal or snack. In fact, if your child is at school, or away for a meal, it’s a great option if they can’t brush. They have dental rinses, or water is a viable choice if you don’t have access to one at the time.
- Healthy Snacking. If your child likes a snack once in a while, as we all do, there are ways to make the snack work for you, rather than against. Eating foods such as apples, carrots, celery, and cauliflower is not only healthy in general, but specifically healthy for teeth. The crunch they bring helps to remove plaque that can build up and be detrimental in the end. So, replace the sugary sweets with natural snacks whenever possible.
- Fluoride treatments. If your water doesn’t have fluoride, then consider fluoride treatments. Fluoride helps prevent cavities by strengthening the teeth. Most public water systems have fluoride treatment within it. However, if you have a well system, consider buying toothpastes and rinses with fluoride, a fluoride treatment at the dentist, or a fluoride supplement, which your dentist can recommend.
- Routine visits to the Dentist. As important as it is to have a good dental routine at home, it’s equally important to get to the dentist for regular checkups and cleaning. If you have your teeth professionally cleaned a couple times a year, along with a checkup, it could ward off future dental issues.
These are all healthy habits that you can instill in your children, who will appreciate it in their adult life when they have fewer problems and expenses in the dentist chair. Again, it’s never too early to start, or too late. What’s most important is that you just start.
Jason Munroe, a freelance author, discovered how the Internet can help with his career back in 2003. He is currently in the midst of writing a series of articles on family dentistry, with the help of a Vancouver BC dentist and her website, www.drdbird.com. Jason loves surfing the Internet looking for great deals to share with others, as well as seeking tips for future projects.