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As a parent, it’s your job to make oral healthcare fun, and as approachable as possible by mitigating fear and anxiety, and replacing negative feelings with optimism and instruction. A great place to begin encouraging your young child is at home. Try making oral healthcare fun and informative with these fun brushing tips! 

1 – Use Videos

For first time brushers, it can be tough to brush for two minutes at a time. This is due to a number of things, but it mostly comes down to the fact that it’s difficult to keep young children still and focused on brushing their teeth for two minutes. You can help your child have more fun while they brush by letting them brush while watching a tooth brushing video. These educational videos help guide children through brushing their teeth, and each lasts at least two minutes. We suggest finding one that you deem appropriate for your child, and one that they will enjoy watching.

2 – Brush Together

One great way to help first time brushers is by brushing with them. This allows you to give them specific brushing tips, as well as keep an eye on how ling they’re brushing. It can also help you get into a fun routine with your child and have a bit more time together.

3 – Buy an Electric Toothbrush

An electric toothbrush is an appealing option for children just beginning to brush, since they require less dexterity and physical motion to operate. Additionally, most electric toothbrushes feature brushing timers which tell the operator how much time they have left to brush, as well as a pressure monitor which informs the brusher when they’re brushing too hard. We suggest looking for an electric toothbrush specifically made for children. 

4 – Read Tooth-Friendly Books

By reading books with your child, you can help them form positive associations with healthcare, and get them excited about caring for their teeth! Try adding some fun children’s books to your home, and other informative dental games and materials to teach your child about oral healthcare. Try making oral healthcare fun and informative with these fantastic dental books for children:

The Tooth Book 
Clarabella’s Teeth 
The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist 
I Know Why I Brush My Teeth

New Brushers Love Our Office 

If your child is just beginning to brush, then visit our office. Our team of pediatric dentists can teach them how to properly brush, and help them learn about the finer points of oral healthcare. Tooth decay is almost entirely preventable, help your child get a healthy smile by getting into a healthy brushing routine.

Childhood cavities are the most prevalent childhood illness in the United States, and they are almost entirely preventable. While treating cavities is more effective and comfortable now than ever before, some kids still experience anxiety when visiting the dentist. By following a few simple steps, you can help your kids keep cavities away and keep their dental appointments stress-free.

1 - Maintain a Healthy Oral Care Routine

Avoiding cavities begins with proper, routine oral care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises that everyone brushes their teeth twice per day, for two minutes each session. By brushing for the proper amount of time, your child can clean all of the bad bacteria off their teeth, and help prevent cavities. Be sure that they brush the entire surface of their teeth - including the backside, which is often neglected.  

It can be tough to convince your child to brush for the full two minutes, but there are some fun ways to help them achieve better brushing results. Go Online to find tooth-brushing videos for children. Most of these videos are at least two minutes long, and help keep kids engaged and focused while they brush.

2 - Add More Water

Water is a fantastic tool that helps fight against cavities. Water is generally pH neutral, and does not harm tooth enamel – in fact, it can actually help strengthen tooth enamel by keeping the teeth free of food debris. It also improves saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth of debris and reduces the amount of harmful acid left behind by food.

To get even more benefits, have your child rinse their mouth out with water after each meal. This will wash away any food debris in their mouth, and help prevent cavities.

3 - Get a New Toothbrush

When was the last time you bought your child a new toothbrush? If it isn’t anytime in the last three months, then they are most likely using a worn down toothbrush. You should exchange your child’s toothbrush when the head begins to lose its shape and the bristles become frayed. 

Also, it’s important to exchange your child’s toothbrush after they recover from any sort of illness. Bacteria can buildup on the handle and bristles of their toothbrush and can extend their sickness or reignite it at a later date. If your child has a cold or the flu, immediately buy a new toothbrush once they are no longer sick. 

Visit Our Office Today

Pediatric dentists are specifically trained to care for children’s oral health. Schedule an appointment with our office, and ask us about the best ways to help your child prevent cavities, and earn a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.  Our office is designed to make your child’s visit relaxing and comfortable.

Candy tastes great, but it isn’t a nutritionally sound snack that adequately fuels your child’s growing body. Additionally, candy can severely harm your child’s teeth and lead to cavities and oral health disease. But, not all candy effects teeth in the same way. In fact, candy has numerous ways in which it can damage teeth and lead to tooth decay.  

Hard Candy

Hard candy is very popular, and comes in nearly every flavor and size imaginable. But, be vigilant when letting your child eat hard candy, because it can crack their teeth. Hard candy also tends to stick around longer than other candy, which exposes teeth to sugar for longer. Extended contact with sugar can lead to more cavities because sugar provides bad bacteria with the energy it needs to destroy enamel. 

Sticky Candy

Like hard candy, sticky candy can get stuck in tooth crevices and stay around long after it’s been swallowed. Sticky candy is difficult to remove from teeth, and gives cavity-causing bacteria more time to eat away enamel.  

Sour Candy

Sour candy can leave teeth susceptible to cavities more so than any other candy. This is because sour candy contains a high amount of acid. In fact, the elevated acid content is what makes it so sour. The acidity can eat away the enamel of teeth, and leave them vulnerable to cavities. 

Some Better Options 

Gum Sweetened with Xylitol

While it’s not exactly candy, gum sweetened with Xylitol can actually clean teeth as it is being chewed. Xylitol sweetened gum is sugarless, and stimulates saliva production which naturally cleans teeth of debris and leftover sugar.  

Dark Chocolate

Chocolate is a better sweet option, since it washes away easier than other candy, and is less destructive to enamel. But, dark chocolate is the best type of chocolate for oral health because it contains less sugar than milk chocolate and can actually help keep cavities away! That’s because it contains a flavanoid called epicatechin. Epicatechin has shown to slow tooth decay and also reduces cholesterol, blood clots and clogged arteries.  

Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, which are naturally occurring chemicals that limit bad oral that attacks teeth. The polyphenols in dark chocolate also reduce bad breath! 

Remember to Brush Twice Daily

It’s important that your children brush their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time if you want to keep cavities away. This is especially important when consuming foods that contain high amounts of sugar.  

Schedule an appointment with our office if your child begins experiencing tooth pain, since this could indicate a cavity. We will thoroughly evaluate the state of their oral health, and provide a treatment plan that works for them.