Looking after your child’s teeth begins with good habits and routines.
When your baby gets teeth, you can begin to brush them with an infant toothbrush. Use water and a tiny amount of toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice) twice daily. Kids ages 3 and up should only use a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Even babies can get tooth decay. Putting a baby to sleep with a bottle can harm a baby’s teeth. Sugars from juice, formula or milk that stay on baby’s teeth left for hours can eat away at the enamel (the layer of the tooth that protects against tooth decay). This can lead to “bottle mouth” or “baby bottle tooth decay”. When this happens, the front teeth can get discoloured, pocked and pitted. It is recommended that children over the age of 2 stop use of bottles to prevent decay of teeth.
Cavities happen when bacteria and food left on the teeth after eating are not brushed away. Acid collects on a tooth, softening its enamel until a hole or cavity forms.
Children are more likely to go along with cleaning teeth if its fun especially toddlers. Here are some ideas:
*Sing while your brushing. You could try “This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth”
* Pretend the tooth brush is a train. You could try saying “Toot toot chugga chugga” as you move the brush along your child’s teeth.
*Let your child play with their favourite toy while you’re brushing
After cleaning your child’s teeth, rinse the toothbrush with tap water. Store the toothbrush upright in an open container to allow it to air dry. You should replace tooth brushes every 3-4 months or when the bristles get worn or frayed.