Positive Oral Health Habits For Children

Our teeth are one of the most valuable assets. They are also frequently one of the most overlooked areas of our health. This is a curious paradox, since not many people enjoy dentist visits. Drilling cavities, tightening braces and teeth extraction, root canals, and oral surgery all well up in our consciousness as events to avoid. Positive oral health habits are important from an early age to avoid more serious dental work.

In truth, most dentistry involves cleaning and maintenance, with a side of prevention. Take care of your teeth regularly, and you really don’t have to fear the dentist at all.

This is an especially important subject to discuss and promote with kids and young adults. Teach your kids about the benefits of proper oral and dental hygiene to set them up for future oral health success.

Positive habits

For a pediatric dentist, nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing a child with avoidable tooth issues. Cavities, plaque build-up, and gum sensitivity can all stem from a lack of regular healthy teeth maintenance.

At Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, we feel it important to promote the right home dental habits for children.

Some of the best preventative maintenance practices are:

• Brushing twice a day for at least two minutes. Brush in small circles at a 45 degree angle to the gums with a soft-bristled brush. Be gentle, if you brush too rough it can be harmful, over time.
• Keep your toothbrush up to date. If the bristles are flaring out or worn down, it’s time for a new brush. Fresh bristles are more effective at removing food particles and cleaning in tight spaces.
• Floss regularly. Either with regular floss or floss picks. This cleaning really helps prevent cavities from forming in hard-to-reach places. The floss picks are usually easier for kids to use, too, which means they’ll use them more often if made available.
• Mouthwash can be a great prevention which is easy to promote and practice. Get your kids in the habit of using mouthwash after they brush and floss. The swishing action does a great job of removing some of the food particles loosened up from brushing and flossing.
• Monitor the diet. This may be one of the most difficult areas for kids, as sugary foods are some of the hardest on teeth; most kids love sugary foods and soft drinks. Sugar also seems to be a common additive in so many foods and drinks these days. Too much sugar is never great. Limiting intake can be positive for oral health, as well as, overall health.
• Schedule those dentist visits. Since kids go through a set of baby teeth before permanent ones, their oral health is constantly going through changes and updates. Seeing the dentist every 6 months allows your child to learn proper oral hygiene techniques and allows us to catch any potential issues early on. At Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, our team will go over proper brushing and flossing with your and your child.

As parents, we are constantly looking out for our children’s safety and well-being. Taking an active role in their dental health is critical. Not only are the teeth of vital importance, but now we are learning that larger, overarching health concerns can be directly tied to dental and oral health.

From heart and pulmonary disease, to pregnancy and birth complications, the health of our teeth can correlate to much of our overall health.

Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry

We understand the dental challenges that exist, especially for younger children. That’s why we are dedicated to ensuring kids have positive dentistry experiences. By making the dental visit fun and engaging, we seek to show our patients that what we do isn’t scary or intimidating.Visit our website to schedule an appointment or give us a call at (904)373-5120. Our dedicated staff will be able to help you with questions and scheduling.