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Teeth Care Tips for Babies and Children

Caring for your child's teeth

• Start brushing as soon as teeth appear.
• Brush thoroughly twice a day (just before bed is important).
• Help your child brush until they are able to do it well by themselves - usually around the age of seven.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste and encourage your child to spit after brushing; do not rinse afterwards as this reduces the benefits of the fluoride in the toothpaste.
• Use a tiny smear of toothpaste for babies and a pea-sized amount for children.
• Young children will swallow the toothpaste; use a children's toothpaste with reduced fluoride until they are able to spit well.
• Visit a dentist regularly to get your child used to the experience.

Reducing your child's sugar intake

• As soon as you start your baby on solids, try to encourage a liking for savory, rather than sweet tastes.
• Reduce the amount of sugary food or drinks you give your child and limit these to mealtimes.
• Use stickers, comics, crayons, hair slides, etc, as treats instead of sweets or biscuits.
• Only give water or plain milk in a bottle. Juices should be diluted and given in a cup.
• Limit fizzy drinks and natural fruit juices as they contain sugar and are acidic. They cause decay and erosion that will, literally, dissolve the teeth.
• Do not put anything sweet on pacifiers/comforters.
• The frequency of sugar intake is more important than the quantity; if you give sweets as treats, ensure they are all eaten at the same time.
• Ask for sugar-free medicines.
• Read labels carefully. Sugar may be listed as glucose, sucrose, honey, dextrose, maltose, fructose, hydrolysed starch or syrup. Remember that maltodextrin, invest sugar, honey, raw sugar, cane sugar, muscavado and fruit juices all cause decay. Remember that some drinks labelled as being 'tooth - friendly' may still contain significant quantities of sugar harmful to teeth.

Other tips for healthy teeth

Every time even small amounts of sugar are consumed, the acid level in the mouth falls to a level where it can cause dental decay for about half an hour. For this reason, it is not recommended to brush teeth immediately after something sweet or acidic since the teeth are weakened and brushing 'scours' the surface of the enamel. It's a better idea to wait half an hour after eating before brushing.

It is also useful to chew sugar-free chewing gum after eating as this encourages the flow of saliva, which naturally buffers the acids that cause dental decay.

Alternatively, a small piece of cheese after eating has also been shown to be helpful.

To celebrate your child's healthy teeth habits, purchase a tooth fairy pillow. The educational gift will help them learn more about their pearly whites.