Ever wondered why dentists emphasize brushing teeth even for kids? You might have come across this quote quite often: ” Every tooth in the man’s head is more valuable than a diamond” by Miguel De Cervantes. This is actually true and applies to both kids and adults.
Whenever the first tooth erupts in the baby’s mouth, the parent may wonder, “When should I start brushing my child’s teeth? ” But in most families, there are many myths related to the baby’s teeth even in the age of advancement and modernization.
Myth 1: You should not brush a baby’s teeth at least till the age of 2 years
Myth 2: Milk teeth are just temporary and do not need to be cleaned often, as cavities in the baby teeth do not matter
Myth 3: There is no need to visit a dentist until the kid is a little older
Myth 4: Just sweets cause cavities, and we are not giving any sweets, so no cavities can occur.
Brushing of the baby’s teeth should start as soon as the first tooth erupts in the baby’s mouth and should never be delayed.
Every tooth that has erupted in the child’s mouth is as important as the next tooth that will be erupting soon. Also, it is as important as the permanent teeth the kid will eventually have. The milk teeth serve a very important purpose for a child’s health, speech, confidence and appearance. So, it is very important to help the child preserve all of them all through childhood.
The cleaning of a child’s gums and tongue should start immediately after the birth of the child. You can use either a silicone finger brush or a soft, moist, clean cotton cloth wrapped around your finger. The milk that deposits on the surface of the gums and the tongue is not good and can cause various infections.
Why is brushing important for kids?
1. Brushing kids’ teeth helps prevent cavities, which are difficult to treat as the kids might not be cooperative.
2. It helps prevent bad breath, which might be there due to all the food and the milk that might be accumulating in the child’s mouth.
3. Starting to brush early helps in developing the habit, and it is not difficult to get the child used to it when he or she grows up.
4. During brushing, the parent can easily get to know if there is any cavity which has started to develop, as otherwise it might get missed.
5. It also gives a sense of freshness.
How to brush your child’s teeth?
- Choose a kids’ age-appropriate soft toothbrush, you can also start with a silicone finger brush.
- After the age of 6 months, you can start using a grain size of kids’ age-appropriate toothpaste till the age of 3 years and a pea size after the age of 3 years.
- Keep your brush at a 45-degree angle on the gum line of the last teeth and bring the brush downwards. Repeat the same for all the teeth and remember to clean both the inside and the outside of the teeth.
- You can also brush in a simple circular motion.
- Remember to brush twice daily for 2 minutes each.
- Change the toothbrush after every 3-4 months
- Do not give anything sweet or sticky food to eat after brushing your teeth.
Related: 10 Exciting Ways To Get Your Toddler To Brush Their Teeth
Which toothpaste should I use for my kid?
You can use any age-appropriate fluoridated toothpaste to clean the teeth of your baby. Most of the parents are worried about their kids swallowing the toothpaste. If an appropriate amount of the toothpaste is used, there is no harm even if the child swallows it. Use a rice grain size of toothpaste for kids till the age of 3 years and the size of pea after the age of 3 years. The amount of fluoride in fluoridated toothpaste is very less which is not harmful even if kid swallows it. e.g. Colgate Kids, Cheerio, Kidodent etc.
Related: Choosing the best toothpaste for kids.
The permanent teeth start erupting by the age of 6 years but the full set of the permanent teeth will erupt only by the age of 12 years and so it is very important to preserve the baby teeth till then. Do not believe in any myths and start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts in the baby’s mouth.
Happy Parenting!
