Top 5 Tips for Cavity Prevention

How healthy are your child’s teeth? Children are more prone to developing cavities and tooth decay because of improper oral hygiene and snacking on candy and cakes throughout the day. Thankfully, there are things you can do to help your child keep his or her teeth clean and cavity prevention tips and tricks you can use to help your child clean his or her teeth and gums thoroughly.

1. (Cavity Prevention Tip) Maintain Your Child’s Oral Hygiene Routine

Children often do not understand the importance of maintaining a great oral hygiene routine, and they can get bored with the process, leading to inadequate brushing. When teaching your child how to brush his or her teeth, make sure to supervise them and teach them how to brush along their gumlines and reach every surface of the tooth. To help with this process, there are toothbrushes that play music for two minutes. When the music starts, instruct your child to brush his or her teeth, and when the music stops, your child can stop brushing his or her teeth. As your child gets older, you will want to instruct them on proper flossing techniques and have them rinse their mouths with a fluoride mouthwash at least once a day to help keep their teeth strong.

2. (Cavity Prevention Tip) Limit Sugary, Sweet and Sticky Foods

The bacteria in the mouth loves sugary and sticky foods and sweet drinks as much as your child. Unfortunately, these foods and drinks can lead to extended acid attacks on your child’s teeth, which can lead to white spots and eventual tooth decay. White spots appear due to a reduction in the mineral content of the tooth enamel. Once the mineral content has been reduced, the area weakens, which can create a hole and lead to tooth decay and cavities.

3. (Cavity Prevention Tip) Increase the Nutrient Value of Your Child’s Diet

Everyone knows that eating healthy can help children maintain a healthy weight, but did you know that it can also help protect your child’s teeth? Helping your child Eat a diet that is loaded with crunchy fruits and vegetables, like apples, celery and carrots, and eating foods that are high in fiber can help protect teeth. The crunchy fruits and vegetables can help clean your child’s teeth and provide essential macro and micro-nutrients that can help strengthen the enamel. When your child eats foods that are high in fiber can help his or her mouth produce more saliva, which helps protect teeth by providing them with essential minerals and washes away food particles.

4. (Cavity Prevention Tip) Consider Dental Sealants

Dental sealants can help children prevent cavities, and they can be applied as soon as the first molar appears. Children often have trouble cleaning their back teeth while they are learning how to use a toothbrush. This can lead to food particles getting stuck in the crevices. When food particles are allows to remain on the teeth, it can lead to an extended acid attack, plaque and tartar buildup as well as increasing your child’s risk for developing tooth decay and cavities. Dental sealants are a plastic coating that is applied to the back teeth to help prevent food from getting lodged in the crevices, which helps reduce your child’s risk of developing a cavity.

5. (Cavity Prevention Tip) Schedule Regular Dental Cleanings

When it comes to maintaining your child’s oral health and teaching them good habits that will last through adulthood, scheduling regular dental cleanings and examinations is a must. Regular dental examinations with our pediatric dentist in Ponte Vedra can help keep your child’s teeth healthy by removing all the plaque and tartar and checking for common childhood dental problems, like bad bites, so that they can be treated in a timely manner. Our ponte vedra dentist recommends that you schedule your child’s first appointment shortly after the first tooth appears in the mouth, and then every six to 12 months after. We can also answer all of your questions about proper oral hygiene and recommend tips on how to help your child clean his or her teeth.

To schedule an appointment with our pediatric dentist in Ponte Vedra, call us at 904-373-5120.