Modern people are more aware of dental care. As a parent, you certainly hope your kid to have good teeth under pediatric dental care. But kids all like candy and sweets and dislike brushing their teeth; what's more, it's almost impossible to bring them to see a dentist - if they know you're bringing them to the dental clinic, they may refuse to leave home! With unhealthy diet and bad oral hygiene habits, they are likely to suffer from tooth decay, a headache to all parents! Don't worry, it's possible to eliminate the risk by bringing your kid good and proper preventive methods and regular pediatric dental check-ups.
Protect children's teeth by 4 effective methods Routine cases can first be assessed by the general dental team at Home Dental Centre. Where clinical needs indicate further care in this area, Dr. Sarah Lai (Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry), Dr. Daniel Lam (Dentist) and Dr. Vanessa Man (Dentist) at the centre provide the relevant treatment; the treating dentist is arranged according to clinical needs and the dentists on duty. Where a case involves more than one area of dentistry, dentists from different areas at the centre can jointly develop a combined treatment plan, without the patient needing a referral elsewhere.
1. Warm water for baby's teeth cleaning
Don't think that baby doesn't need teeth cleaning when there's no tooth there. Every time after drinking milk or eating, your baby's mouth must be thoroughly cleaned with warm water. Before bedtime at night, use a disposable sterile gauze to clean your baby's gums with warm water.
2. Use finger brush or soft toothbrush
When baby teeth start to grow, you can begin brushing your kid's teeth. Baby in 6 months will start having complementary foods; if you don't clean the teeth for your baby, the starch and sucrose in the food residue will be decomposed by the bacteria to produce acid, attaching to the teeth to cause cavities.
To avoid harm to your baby's mouth, you can use a finger brush or a soft toothbrush for infants. Apply a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste and brush your baby's teeth twice a day, in the morning and evening. When your kid is about 2 years old, you can also use dental floss and tooth sticks to remove the plaque between the teeth.
3. Strict control of the eating habits of your kid
Some babies will have "night milk", causing "baby bottle tooth decay" easily. When kids grow older, they all love sweets and are more prone to have tooth decay when having candy, cake, juice and soda all the time. If you don't want your kid to suffer from tooth decay and spend a large sum of money on dentures, implants or braces, you should take care of the teeth health of your kid from an early age. It's a duty for parents to regulate the eating habits of their kids. Stand firm and don't let your kid indulge in sweets.
4. Fluoride treatment
Some children may still suffer from tooth decay even if they have good brushing habits. Fluoride treatment can solve the problem once and for all -- by using a fluorine-containing substance to fluorinate the surface of each tooth, it can inhibit the dissolution of hard tissues of the teeth, so as to reduce the growth of bacteria and prevent tooth decay.
Fluoride varnish: the best tooth decay preventive method for children
What is fluoride varnish?
It may sound unfamiliar but it has been widely used in foreign countries for years as a part of children's regular dental health care. Fluoride treatment is to apply a fluoride varnish to the teeth, like wearing a protective jacket to provide a higher concentration of fluoride to the teeth, preventing caries and resulting in cleaner teeth with better resistance.
Why is it important to have fluoride treatment?
1. Inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria: directly inhibit the bacterial metabolism in the mouth, causing bacterial growth, metabolic disorders or cessation.
2. Enhance tooth resilience: reduce the solubility of enamel surface and enhance tooth resistance to acid.
3. Strengthen the teeth: bring stronger new teeth supported by calcium.
4. Repair cavities: for early cavities in the deciduous teeth, fluoride treatment will bring recalcification to the teeth and help to repair the cavities.
Pediatric dental care is crucial for children's oral health
As a parent, you would want to protect your kid's health in all aspects - not only general physical examination but also oral health care. Consult a professional dentist to learn more about pediatric dental care or other dental health issues. For more comprehensive and personalised advice or treatment, seek assistance from a trusted dentist.
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