If you want your child to have healthy teeth and gums for life, you should also pay attention to oral care and cleaning from the first milk teeth eruption (about 6 months old). The oral care and cleaning habits that you will introduce to your child in the first years will prevent the formation of cavities in their teeth. For this reason, cleaning and maintenance procedures should be started with the emergence of the first milk teeth.
Suggestions:
- After each feeding with a bottle or breast, wipe all the teeth of the child with a slightly moistened cheesecloth. Do this at least twice a day, before going to bed every night and after breakfast every morning.
- Do not give your child a bottle while they are sleeping at night to prevent the formation of bottle rot. In case of necessity, give only water in the bottle.
- Use the fluoride tablets given by your dentist when necessary, at the recommended doses and regularly.
- Start brushing your child’s milk teeth from the age of 2 with a soft baby brush after meals.
- Take your child to the dentist regularly, at least twice a year, starting from the age of 1, even if he or she has no complaints. fear of the dentistIt will help prevent its formation.
- Keep your child’s teeth away from foods that are sticky and contain large amounts of sugar (cola drinks, candies, wafers, sugary gum, etc.).
- Make snacking between meals useful to your child. For this purpose, instead of chocolate, wafers, biscuits, candies, cola drinks, you can give milk, yoghurt, cheese, buttermilk, eggs, or bite-sized fruits such as apples and carrots without peeling the skin.
- When you give your child a sugar-containing food or drink between meals, brush their teeth or rinse their mouth with a glass of water within half an hour at the latest. If your child is less than two years old, you can wipe them with a wet piece of cheesecloth.
- It is up to you to prevent your child’s addiction to sugar and sweetened foods! Limit the consumption of sugar, which is used to sweeten food and drinks, as much as possible.
- Have your child watch you while you brush your teeth.
- Your child can brush their teeth effectively after the age of 8 on their own. Therefore, it is your parents’ responsibility to brush your child’s teeth at night until the age of 8! At other times, be with your child while brushing his teeth and ensure that his teeth are brushed adequately (at least two minutes).
- Replace the toothbrush you use (your child and yourself) with a new one every 3-4 months.