Dr. Ritika Arora MDS
AESTHETIC SMILES Dental Clinic & Facial Rejuvenation
You can start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as they start to come through. Use a baby toothbrush with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste.
Don’t worry if you don’t manage to brush much at first. The important thing is to get your baby used to brushing their teeth as part of their daily routine. You can help by setting a good example and letting them see you brushing your own teeth.
Brushing Tips for Children
- Use a tiny smear of toothpaste for babies and toddlers up to age three, and a pea-sized amount for children aged three to six years.
- Gradually start brushing your child’s teeth more thoroughly, covering all the surfaces of the teeth. Do it at least twice a day: just before bed and at another time that fits in with your routine.
- Not all children like having their teeth brushed, so you may have to keep trying. Make it into a game, or brush your own teeth at the same time and then help your child finish their own. Perseverance is the key!
- The easiest way to brush a baby’s teeth is to sit them on your knee with their head resting against your chest. With an older child, stand behind them and tilt their head upwards.
- Brush the teeth in small circles covering all the surfaces and let your child spit the toothpaste out afterwards. Rinsing with water has been found to reduce the benefit of fluoride.
- Supervise brushing to make sure your child gets the right amount of toothpaste and they are not eating or licking toothpaste from the tube.
- Carry on helping your child brush their teeth until you’re sure they can do it well enough themselves. This will normally be until they’re at least seven
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, also known as dental decay or dental caries, is a major health concern worldwide.
Tooth decay is the destruction of tooth tissue caused by acids made by bacteria in dental plaque. Dental plaque is a sticky film that constantly forms on the teeth. Each time you have sugary food and drink, the bacteria in plaque produce acid that attacks teeth. If you eat or drink sugary foods frequently throughout the day, you have more “acid attacks” which can lead to tooth decay. This can eventually lead to cavities (holes) in the teeth and infection, which is why teeth sometimes need to be removed.
Fluoride Dental Treatments
Fluoride varnish can be applied to both baby teeth and adult teeth by a dentist. The process involves painting a varnish containing high levels of fluoride onto the surface of the tooth every six months to prevent decay. It works by strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay.
From the age of three, children should be offered fluoride varnish treatment at least twice a year.
Fissure Sealants
The first adult teeth come through at about 6 years old. They grow behind all the baby teeth without any baby teeth being lost. These are the teeth we seal.
A Fissure Sealant can last many years. It is safe and totally pain free.
As your child becomes older, (9-11 years) they will grow more new back teeth. It may be appropriate to fissure these teeth also.
Contact Dr. Ritika Arora +91 9619955929 for more tips on your Child’s tooth care and visit Aesthetic Smiles Dental Clinic for Free Dental Check Up and Preventive Dental Care for your Child starting at @ Rs.999 only per year.
At Aesthetic Smiles we ensure your child in safe hands of a Paediatric Dentist in a comfortable environment You can even email your queries to ritika6578@gmail.com
