Pediatric Dentistry

Protecting your child’s teeth from cavities is all about creating a daily habit of brushing their teeth and giving them a proper diet.

When it comes to food, it is very important to keep in mind what food is bad for your kid’s teeth and avoid it as much as you can, making sure that you keep their diet diverse.

How Acidic Food Affects Teeth

Acidic foods are the main culprit when it comes to cavities and weakened enamel. They are present in our daily diet, but they are often eaten excessively by our kids, even when we are very careful to provide healthy foods.

Acidic foods contribute to the formation of cavities by weakening the enamel, which is the hard protective layer of our teeth. Children’s baby teeth have thinner enamel, and it will be more prone to cavities than permanent teeth enamel. If the teeth are constantly attacked by foods with a low Ph level, they will eventually show signs of demineralization. After this, they can easily get cavities and often decay starts near the gums, where plaque accumulates.

Acidic Foods

With some foods like citrus or pickles, it’s clear that they are acidic, but if you are unsure which others are on the list of acidic foods, we have compiled the most common ones you can find in your kitchen:

Soft drinks and juice: even when they are low on added sugar, sweet drinks, and especially carbonated ones will attack your little one’s teeth. Keep these drinks to a minimum and avoid giving them before bed

Citrus fruit – lemon, orange, clementine, grapefruit; these fruits are highly acidic and should be combined with alkaline foods when given to children

Tomato: the slightly sour taste of tomatoes show that they are acidic; if your kid loves tomatoes, serve them with non-acidic foods and brush the teeth after eating

Sour candy, raisins: these are put together because of the combination of damaging effects – first, they are acidic, and second, they are sticky and most harmful to the teeth because they linger on them for a long time

Avoiding Decay Associated with Acidic Foods

To avoid damage from acidic foods, you don’t necessarily have to ban them completely from your child’s diet, but it’s important to follow a few rules when it comes to giving them.

After eating acidic food, your child should brush his teeth. However, even if you are tempted to get them in the bathroom immediately after their meal, it’s very important to wait a while before brushing. Acidic foods soften the enamel and brushing too soon can actually damage the teeth more. Wait for an hour or so and let the saliva do its cleaning before thoroughly cleaning the teeth with a brush and paste.

Consume acidic foods with water and teach your child to not keep them in their mouths for too long. If you do give them juices or soda, make them use a straw for it, as it keeps the juice away from the teeth.

Prevention is key when it comes to dental health, and avoiding as many acidic foods as you can is more effective in the long run than other methods.

Regularly having your child’s teeth cleaned will lay the building blocks of a lifelong oral health routine.

When it comes to our children, we want to do what’s best for them and keep them as healthy as possible. But often parents are accused of being overprotective or worrying excessively. You may be wondering if it is really that important to have your child’s teeth professionally cleaned by a dentist.

The short answer is yes. Professional cleaning is important for your child’s oral health, in more ways than you think.

It Gets Them Used to Being at the Dentist

Your kid’s earliest memories will form his attitudes and behavior later in life, and often people develop a fear of the dentist during early childhood. Going to the dentist for such a simple procedure is a great way of getting them introduced to the environment, being in the dentist’s chair and having the doctor work on their teeth.

Be patient when it comes to the first visits and try to make it a pleasant, fun experience for them. It will serve as a base for a lifetime of good dental habits.

It Emphasizes the Importance of Good Oral Hygiene

When your dentist does acleaning, they will also use that opportunity to explain the importance of regular check-ups. Your child will be educated about the type of treatment they are getting and how they can expect to evolve in the future. If you choose a doctor with experience in working with children or just an empathetic person with a bit of skill in talking to the little ones, it will have a great impact on your child’s future.

It Gets the Teeth Actually Cleaned Properly

You might think that your child’s teeth cleaning regime at home is flawless and makes the professional cleaning redundant, but the dentist will actually get those hard to reach spots that even regular flossing can’t get to. The tools used by the dentist are more effective at removing bacterial plaque and debris in between the teeth, preventing cavities and gum disease.

Regular Deep Cleaning Is a Must for Anyone

Deep cleaning, or professional cleaning, isn’t only for people with dental issues. Even when your pearly whites are in top condition you should schedule a cleaning at the dentist. Follow your child’s example and have it done too. This kind of solidarity will reinforce the message you want to send your child and it will give you a lovely smile.

If you haven’t scheduled your child for professional teeth cleaning yet, do it as soon as you can. It’s a simple, yet important procedure that will lay the building blocks of a lifelong oral health routine. Schedule a consultation with your St. Louis pediatric dentist now and help your child build healthy habits.

By starting early, you can create lifelong healthy oral care habits that will impact your child’s long-term well-being.

Keeping their baby’s smile bright and healthy is a priority for any caring parent. Baby teeth are just as important as permanent teeth for a child’s overall health. Most importantly, by starting early, you will create lifelong healthy oral care habits that will impact your child’s long-term well-being.

The biggest challenge of all is to convince your child to brush and floss two times a day. Then, you have to pay attention to damaging habits that hurt their enamel, cut the foods that cause cavities, and so on. It’s a lot of work and helping your kids develop healthy habits may be difficult when your child is a rebellious toddler.

Another issue for parents seems to be choosing the right products for their children’s oral health. We have listed some essential products and tools that you can include in an oral health kit for each of your children.

Dental Health Essential Kit

To keep those pearly whites healthy and strong, put together an essential kit for every child and add products suitable for their age, as follows:

Before the First tooth Emerges

Be sure to always have sterile cloths for cleaning your baby’s gums when needed. Infants don’t need intensive oral care, as they should be exclusively breast or formula-fed, but sometimes their gums and tongue might get some milk residue. Using your clean finger, wrapped in sterile cloth, gently wipe any build-up.

Infants

Brushing your child’s teeth should start as soon as the first baby tooth emerges. For your daily cleaning, their dental kit should contain:

• Sterile cloth
• Silicone finger toothbrush that also massages aching and itchy gums

Toddlers (ages 1 to 3)

The first years in your child’s life are essential for putting the base of oral hygiene. Even if they lack the dexterity to properly clean their own teeth, it’s time to introduce interesting items in their dental kit:

• Toothbrushes suitable for their age
• Mild toothpaste that doesn’t need rinsin
• Flavorless floss or floss picks that you will use in between their touching teeth

Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5)

Now you can introduce new items:

• Electric toothbrush suitable for their age
• Fun toothpaste that they can choose themselves

Ages 5 to 8

Besides the basic tools, you can include extra items in the kit:

• Fun, colorful toothbrushes with their favorite characters
• Flavored toothpaste
• Floss
• A small portable kit for when they are away from home

Ages 8 to 12

Kids should have solid oral health habits by now. You can keep the dental kit as it is, and only introduce a new size of toothbrushes and mouthwash that is alcohol-free. A visit to the orthodontist might also be scheduled around this age.

Teenagers

Teenagers have a habit of defying authority, so they might skip their brushing or not be interested in their dental health so much. Getting them some cool disposable toothbrushes to carry or investing in interesting tools and products that they choose will encourage them to keep those teeth clean. It’s also time to discuss braces if your teenager has orthodontic issues.

Keeping your child’s teeth healthy is all about educating them about how important it is. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful products on the market to help you with the process.