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When your child has healthy teeth at a young age, they’re more likely to continue to have good habits and maintain great oral health as they get older. One of the top ways to give your child a positive start in life is to help them with their oral health.
Staci Brunell, DMD, and Priyanka Patel, DMD, pediatric dentists at Yorktown Pediatric Dentistry in Yorktown Heights, New York, recommend helping your child develop oral health habits they can continue as they get older. Follow these four steps to help keep your child’s oral health the best it can be.
Your child needs to start brushing their teeth twice a day as soon as they get their first tooth, which usually happens by age one. When your child is young, you should brush their teeth for them, then teach them good brushing habits they can continue independently as they get older.
When your child is young and just starting to get their first baby teeth, you only need to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. You can increase the amount as they get bigger and acquire more and larger teeth.
Good brushing technique means brushing every one of your child’s teeth with toothpaste, ideally first thing in the morning and right before bed, then ensuring your child spits out all the toothpaste after cleaning all the teeth. This should take at least two minutes when your child has a full set of teeth.
You should add daily flossing to the routine when your child turns four. Once your child is eight, they can start brushing and flossing themselves, with you supervising initially.
Fluoride is an important mineral that helps prevent teeth from decaying. Your child's toothpaste or other dental products should contain fluoride.
Most areas add fluoride to the water; you can check with your water company to see if your community does this. Our team can advise you on how to ensure your child gets enough fluoride if your area doesn’t have water with fluoride added.
A healthy diet is as important to oral health as regular brushing and flossing. A tooth-friendly diet is filled with healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meat, dairy, whole grains, and nuts.
Giving your child foods rich in calcium also helps their teeth grow strong. Feed your child low—or no-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese to ensure they get enough calcium.
Try to limit foods like candy, chips, baked goods, and other foods with added sugar and starch. Limit drinks like milk or juice to meal times only, and give your child water between meals.
Your child needs to begin attending dental appointments when they get their first tooth or turn one, whichever comes first. Preventive dental cleanings clean areas that you can’t get brushing at home and make it easier for our team to detect any problems sooner.
Initially, your child attends well-baby visits, followed by a first visit after they turn two. We recommend most children attend preventative dental visits every six months.
If your child is due for a dental visit, or you’d like advice on how to help your child with their oral health, contact us to schedule an appointment.
