Cavities are holes in the teeth, known as tooth decay. They are caused by several factors among them very sugary foods and poor oral hygiene. As a parent and caregiver, protecting your child’s health is important. Be sure to include proper dental health. Here are ways to protect your child’s teeth from cavities.
Avoid Sugary Drinks Before Bed
When you feed your child with sugary drinks at night, some of it remains in the oral cavity for hours while they are asleep. This is an issue because it becomes an active ground for bacteria to erode the enamel. Instead, avoid sugary drinks. If your child is thirsty before bed, encourage them to drink water. Lastly, be sure they brush your teeth before bed.
Encourage Proper Oral Hygiene
It is very crucial to ensure that your child maintains good oral hygiene. Always ensure that they brush their teeth after every meal and they never go to bed having not brushed their teeth. If not, plaque forms initiating the first steps of decay. This can be remedied by regular cleaning of the mouth and teeth.
Also, in the early stages of teeth formation, you can easily prevent cavities by using a wet cloth to clean the gums. This aids in getting rid of bacteria that are a causative agent for cavities.
Use Adequate Fluoride
Fluoride is an element that helps prevent cavities and if used in the early stages of cavities it might even reverse the process of tooth decay. It is a common ingredient in most toothpaste and even some public water facilities put fluoride in water due to its benefits to teeth.
Prevent Dry Mouth
Saliva is very crucial in the prevention of cavities. In short, it helps cleanse the food particles that are left in the mouth. Also, saliva also contains a property that fights against bacteria.
Likewise, dryness of the mouth can be caused by dehydration. Hence, it is advisable that your child drinks adequate water or visits a doctor to find out the cause of mouth dryness.
Ensure Your Child Brushes All of Their Teeth
In brief, molars and pre-molars have characteristic grooves on them. It is easy for food particles to hide in the grooves which can lead to decay. Fortunately, you can easily prevent this by supervising your child during brushing.
Encourage Healthy Eating
Avoid sugary foods and drinks. Instead, include healthier food options in their diet. Instead, consider leafy greens, fruits, and water are essential to promote healthy teeth
Prevent Cavities with Dental Treatments
Fluoride varnish can easily be applied on the teeth of a child and it hardens fast and works efficiently to prevent the formation of cavities. Usually, it can be applied three to four times a year by a dentist.
In addition, dental sealants are applied to the back teeth. Sealants prevent cavities from forming in this area. Likewise, if your child has dental fillings, check them. Fillings can get worn out and lose their effectiveness.
Learn More
Your child’s teeth are important and protecting them against cavities can be done. Learn more by scheduling a consultation with any of our many offices.
