Brushing teeth for babies, toddlers and children, philosophy

Brushing teeth in babies, toddlers and children

Parents should practice brushing their teeth with babies, toddlers and children so that they do not get bad teeth. But what does proper dental care and brushing look like for young children? Here you will find valuable tips on when and how to start dental care in babies, toddlers and children and what you need to consider when brushing your teeth.

Research has shown that 90% of all school beginners have broken teeth. Two reasons are decisive for this: the sugar-rich diet in toddlers and poor tooth brushing or dental care.

In the following article you will find many valuable tips on when to start brushing your teeth in babies, toddlers and children and what you need to consider. Some suggestions are also given to ensure not only clean teeth, but also fun brushing your teeth. Because if children are happily introduced to brushing their teeth, it will have a positive effect on their later dental care as an adult.

Prejudices when brushing teeth / dental care in babies and toddlers

There are people who believe that caring for their children’s milk teeth is not particularly important. The child loses them anyway and brushing their teeth does not have to start properly until they get their second teeth.

This is a serious, often painful and costly mistake. Good care of milk teeth is a prerequisite for your children to have healthy, permanent teeth. Four reasons play a major role in this.

If your child loses their milk teeth too soon, there is a greater chance that the teeth that will remain later will not have enough space to grow straight out of the jaw. Because the milk teeth keep the necessary space for the renewable teeth virtually free.

If they fall out too early, part of the space will take up the existing neighboring teeth. The second tooth grows out of the way. It doesn’t have enough space to grow out straight. This not only looks ugly, but also entails the need for braces. Spare that to your child.

The second reason concerns the breeding ground for caries. The enamel of milk teeth is even softer than that of the later permanent teeth. A breeding ground for caries quickly forms, which in turn attacks other milk teeth and the regrowing permanent teeth. You should keep this experience away from your child.

The third reason relates to the habit of brushing your teeth. The earlier a child learns to get used to brushing teeth, the better. The saying "You can not teach old dogs new tricks" it hits very well.

It will be much easier for your child as an adult to brush his teeth conscientiously if started early. Also keep in mind that you are the role model for your child. He won’t settle for explanations of why brushing his teeth is so important unless he observes that his parents also take good care of their teeth. Be a good role model for him!

Fourth, missing and painful teeth disrupt your child’s speech development. It does not learn to pronounce the words correctly, which does not only concern the sibilance. A talkative child who develops an interest in communication will feel much more comfortable in his social environment – also in kindergarten and school.

Brushing teeth and dental care for babies and toddlers

Start oral care for your baby, i.e. just a few days after birth. Use a soft, damp cloth to gently wipe your baby’s gums. This prevents the formation of plaque. The baby also gets used to cleaning his mouth very early. It will also have fewer problems later when the dentist examines his mouth. Because it has got used to opening his mouth in front of others and having him examined and touched from the inside.

Breast milk is the best nutrition for your baby. However, keep in mind that breast milk contains about 7% sugar. Therefore, a daily mouth and later tooth cleaning or brushing is part of personal hygiene.

As soon as the first milk tooth is visible, brush it with a cotton ball or with a mouth lobe. When the first teeth are there, they should be cleaned with a children’s toothpaste. However, avoid toothpastes with a fruit or candy flavor. Small children swallow a large part of the toothpaste anyway. You shouldn’t promote this with tasty toothpastes. Until the age of 2, your child’s teeth should be cleaned once a day. To do this, use fluoride-containing children’s toothpaste. The amount of toothpaste you need should be about the size of a pea. That is quite enough in infancy.

Avoid giving your child sugar-sweetened teas or sour fruit juices. Baby teeth are softer than the second teeth and therefore more susceptible to tooth decay. Get used to water or unsweetened teas to quench your thirst. Do not give your child a honey pacifier either. Honey causes tooth decay just like sugar. In addition, due to its sticky consistency, it stays in the mouth for a long time, providing an excellent breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

Go to the dentist with your child within the first year of life. He will tell you how often further checks are necessary. If your child is old enough, you can also playfully simulate a visit to the dentist. Let yourself be looked into your mouth and put into it. This is great fun for children.

From the age of 2, a two-day cleaning of the teeth is recommended. It is best to brush your teeth in the morning, after breakfast and in the evening before going to bed. Your child will develop an interest in wanting to brush his teeth himself.

Promote his interest in it. There are special toothbrushes for children, depending on their age – get advice. Usually, the handle of a children’s toothbrush should be very thick – the smaller the hands, the thicker the handle.

Because the child has not yet learned motor skills, your child can hold and guide the toothbrush better. There are also toothbrushes with a thumb brake. Let your child choose his toothbrush himself, of course within the scope of the toothbrushes that are suitable. This way you can additionally support his own initiative – to learn how to brush teeth properly.

At the age of 4 or 5 your child can learn a new cleaning technique to the extent that H. no longer scrubbing back and forth, but rather making slightly circular movements with the toothbrush. The vibrating technique is only suitable for adults (approx. 17-18 years). Make sure that your child brushes his teeth systematically so that no tooth is forgotten.

So it should always brush its teeth in a consistent order. To make it clear to your child that cleaning should be thorough, you can give them coloring tablets. All tooth locations that are not yet clean will turn red. Coloring tablets are not only suitable for motivating, but also as a success check when learning the "proper brushing of teeth".

Get your child used to brushing their teeth for three minutes. There are hourglasses to buy that are scheduled for three minutes. Egg clocks are also suitable for this.

Ritualize proper brushing of teeth in toddlers and children

Make brushing your teeth a fixed daily ritual that is fun for the child. You can also combine the ritual with singing toothbrush songs. An example of this is the following song:

"I brush my teeth from red to white,
I brush my teeth with a lot of hard work.
In the morning when I get up early – in the evening when I go to bed,
I brush my teeth as white as snow."
(With the melody: A little man stands in the forest)

Lead by example. Some families clean themselves B. together the teeth. Children also have great fun brushing adults’ teeth. Get involved.

Exercise with fun will make your child take his own dental care seriously in the future. If you have several children, they can be included to make brushing your teeth an experience.

However, please note: Even if your child starts brushing his teeth himself, you still have to clean his teeth. Because it does not yet have the necessary motor skills to get its teeth clean.

You will have to brush and check your child’s teeth into school age to ensure adequate dental care.

Your child’s second teeth are also more susceptible to caries than adults. This is because the teeth are not yet smooth and polished, which means that bacteria can settle better and cause tooth decay. This applies particularly to your child’s permanent molars.

It is possible to seal the fine cracks in your child’s permanent molars so that caries cannot form there. The seal lasts about 7-10 years. Talk to your dentist about it.

Dental care and brushing teeth for children from school age

From the age of 6 you can start to get normal toothpaste for brushing your child’s teeth. If your child wears braces or other denture correction, be even more careful when cleaning their teeth. Because leftovers can get caught in the wire and stick.

Children love electric toothbrushes to brush their teeth. The automatic shaking fascinates them and also promotes the cleanliness of their teeth. Children cannot yet perform the special shaking movements using a motor.

Teeth are particularly at risk from accidents in childhood. If a piece of your child’s tooth breaks out, pick it up! Go to the dentist with your child as soon as possible and take the broken piece with you.

He has the opportunity to use the piece again. If the tooth breaks out with root, put it in a tooth rescue box (available in pharmacies).

This box contains a sewing solution that keeps the living cells on the root alive. If you don’t have a tooth rescue box, put the tooth in a container with milk. An immediate visit to the dentist is always the order of the day.

There is the so-called sports mouthguard to prevent such damage. These are mouth splints that are now available in all possible sizes and colors. You know this mouthguard with certainty from the boxing match. Check with your dentist.

Good luck learning teeth brushing with your kids!

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Christina Cherry
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