How to Take Care of your Child’s Dental Needs
- October 12, 2012
- 3 mins read
It is very challenging for parents to attend to their children’s dental needs and concerns. Parents must have convincing powers, sugarcoating abilities and superb sales talk skills to convince them to visit the dentist for dental services. We were lucky to be given an opportunity by one of the best pediatric dentists in Chandler for an interview and he gave us some steps on how to take care of our child’s dental needs in quick and easy steps:
Be an example. Always encourage your children to take care of their teeth and be an example. Bring your kids to the dentist with you when you’re having teeth cleaning and show them you’re having a good time. Positive reinforcement is key. As early as he can brush his/her teeth alone, show them the right way of brushing and how often we should brush our teeth.
Right and Safe Toothbrush, Toothpaste and Water. We should also ask assistance from pediatric dentists for the right toothbrush which should be elongated with proper grip and fixed for his/her small hands and must be manual (avoid electric toothbrush, it will make your child lazy towards brushing) to develop your child’s brushing habit. Cartoon character designed toothbrushes are also advised to let him/her enjoy brushing.
There are a lot of toothpastes available in the market for children; provide children with toothpastes suited for them since adult toothpastes are too minty or too strong. Flavored toothpaste for kids is advised for them to enjoy brushing. Put the right amount (pea size only) of toothpaste and “make sure that the water that they will be using is safe”.
Moderation. We should moderate our children in eating sweet foods like candies, lollipop and junk foods but not prohibiting them. Let them live as normal kids. Make sure that they drink water and brush their teeth afterwards and explain to them the effect and consequences of these foods to their teeth.
Dentists are Heroes. Explain to them how dentists saves and takes care of their teeth professionally and prevents tooth related pains and further damage. Show them the importance of dental clinic visits for check up, cleaning and tooth extraction. The pediatric dentist believes that the remedy for children with dentophobia or fear of dentist and dental procedures are dentists themselves. Only dentists can help the kid overcome this phobia by alleviating the pain when he is already feeling uncomfortable on his/her teeth.
In case of knocked out tooth and other oral emergencies, go directly to your nearest emergency dentist in Chandler. In most cases, hospitals will refer you directly to a dentist to conduct the operation or surgery. While on your way, apply cold pressure and hold and rinse the tooth and mouth.
Eat Healthy Foods. We should not take away childhood from our children, let them play, do things on their own, eat their desired foods, even candies and other sweet foods, but as mentioned above, we should moderate it and encourage them to eat foods rich in calcium like milk, cheese, fruits and vegetables.
Hope the above mentioned helps you in handling your kid’s dental needs. Introducing them to the dentist early on in life will help them avoid develop any kind of fear towards these amazing helpers we have to have a brighter and whiter smile!
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