Children’s Guide to Dental Health

by | Sep 26, 2013 | Dentistry

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First time parents especially have a lot of questions about dental care for their child; when is a good time to begin brushing? When should the first visit to the dentist be? What is the right toothpaste? There are a lot of important questions that need answers as the answers have a long term effect on the dental health of the child.

The best place to go for answers of course is a local dentist in Arlington TX, nobody knows better. The dentist will no doubt tell you that dental care starts even before the first tooth is cut. To acclimate the child, rub his or her gums softly with a wash cloth, once the first tooth breaks through; begin to use a very soft child’s toothbrush.

Toothpaste:

As most municipal water is supplied to the home fluorinated, there is a danger that a young child will be exposed to too much fluoride; this is why the choice of toothpaste is important. When you study the composition of most children’s toothpaste you will see that they contain fluoride. Although they come with different tastes and different cartoon characters to stimulate the desire to brush, you want to make sure that the child does not ingest too much toothpaste.

If you feel that fluoride toothpaste is right for you, then up until about two years old when the child learns how to spit, just use a small amount rubbed on the teeth. Once the child knows how to spit the toothpaste out rather than swallow it, this is the time to put a pea size dollop on the brush. Although there are children’s toothpastes that are fluorine free, the dentist will probably suggest that a small amount of fluorinated toothpaste is best.

First visit:

There are two well respected academies of dentistry that have different opinions on when a child should have his or her first visit to the local dentist in Arlington TX. One academy suggest when the first tooth cuts through or at the age of one year, the other academy thinks three years of age is proper unless there is evidence of a problem. The one thing both academies agree upon is that oral hygiene should be taught from an early age.

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