February is a very special month for our household. Most people are focusing on Valentines Day, chocolate, candy, etc. For us, it’s a perfect time to focus on Black History month and pediatric dental hygiene! I’m sure most of you weren’t aware that the month of February is National Children’s Dental Health month.
During the month of February, I like to schedule routine cleanings not only for myself but also for my children. Parents stay on top of their dental appointments but what about their children? Regular cleanings should happen every 6 months for both children and adults. Some parents dread taking their kids to the dentist but trust me the more you expose your kids to the dentist, the more comfortable they’ll be in the future. This will make life easier for everyone!
What’s your oral care regimen for your little one?
Establishing a Routine
Some parents say they have a rough time brushing their little one’s teeth. Luckily, I didn’t have that issue. My issue was more so when tooth brushing came to an end. My kids literally cried when it was time to stop. I’m assuming it helped massage their gums especially since they were teething. I started brushing my kids’ teeth around 9 months of age. Xiomara’s bottom two teeth came in around 6 months. Jeremiah’s came in around 7 months.
It is important for your baby to get use to having her teeth cleaned! I would recommend starting as soon as possible. Perhaps as soon as the first couple of teeth emerge. Most babies get their first tooth around the age of 6 months, some as early as 3 months. Believe it or not, some babies actually enter this world with teeth! I personally started massaging my little ones’ gums with silicone toothbrushes once they started showing signs of teething. Not only did that help soothe their itching/sore gums, but it also kicked off an early start to brushing.
Treat your child’s dental hygiene as you would your own. You can clean their teeth twice daily if you wanted to … once in the morning & the second time should before putting them to bed. Always remember, nighttime is the most important time for a child to brush their teeth. It should take place AFTER eating dinner and drinking milk/juice/etc.
As I mentioned before, my kids cried when tooth brushing time came to an end. The way that I stopped them from crying was brushing their teeth while they were in the bathtub. They love water a little bit more than brushing their teeth so that method worked almost every time. I didn’t care if they drooled all over themselves because they were already in the bathtub. Hence, squeezing in that second & most important brushing session. This also helped set a daily routine for us.
Dental Visits
My little ones had their first dental appointments when they hit 12 months. Most kids, and even grown-ups, are scared of going to the dentist for a variety of reasons. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that you introduce your baby to the dentist (as young as possible) so that they’ll be familiar and will not be scared of seeing a dentist when the time comes. A good way to prepare your kids for their first visit would be practice at home. Try sitting your child on your lap, facing away from you. This position allows you to reach his/her teeth easier and it also resembles the position they will be in at the dentist. This position generally works best for babies … even toddlers. I’ve even laid my kids down on a changing pad to brush their teeth. They never had a mouth full of toothpaste so not being in front of a sink was not be that big of an issue. You really only need a pea size of toothpaste for a child.
Another option could be to let your child tag along with you to one of your dental visits. Leading by example is sometimes the best way to go. If your child sees that you’re comfortable going to the dentist, they might be as well.
Toothbrush & Toothpaste Selection
First and foremost, when it comes to babies, safety should be #1 priority! Check to products to see what they consist of. BPA/BPS- free … phthalate-free … latex-free are all things you want to make sure you see on packages. It’s always best to select products without harsh elements.
A soft toothbrush is always recommended by any children’s dentist. The texture of the bristles is very important because your baby’s teeth and gums are soft and delicate. The size of the toothbrush should also be small enough to fit comfortably inside of your child’s mouth. If the toothbrush head is too large for your child’s mouth it may be difficult to maneuver and could also hurt their mouth. It should be the right size so it can easily access all surfaces of your child’s teeth and reach small spaces within the mouth. If your child has a bad experience brushing their teeth, they might not want to brush their teeth again and who wants to deal with that!? Giving your child a great experience will allow them to look forward to brushing their teeth. That in itself will help establish great oral hygiene. You can begin to teach your baby a sense of responsibility by brushing for them first, and then letting them brush their teeth on their own, with your guidance, when they are capable.
We started using the baby banana toothbrush as soon as their teeth pushed their way through. Once, they got a hang of the brushing motion. I would let them practice brushing their teeth on their own using the Mam toothbrush. I loved using that toothbrush in the beginning because it would only allow the toothbrush to go so far in their mouth. Which canceled the possibly of gagging or choking. Now, I absolutely love electronic toothbrushes for my kids. I personally think it’s a more efficient and faster way to brush my kids’ teeth. It allows their teeth to be brushed gently and effortlessly, in circular movements. With the toothbrush doing most of the work, I was able to concentrate and focus more on the areas where the teeth and gums meet. What makes it even better is they love using these brushes as well. The Crayola crayon looking electric toothbrush happens to be one of my favorite toothbrushes for children. They come in multiple colors so it’s an easy way for me to distinguish whose toothbrush is who’s. Most kids get super excited about character toothbrushes so during our 3-4 month toothbrush swap, I will purchase an electronic character toothbrush of their choice. If your child likes their toothbrush, it will be easier for you to instill good oral hygiene in them. If he likes his toothbrush, though, no convincing is needed. Hence, us switching to character toothbrushes.
Of course, we started using fluoride-free toothpaste. A good one to start with is training toothpaste by Toms. I used that for all of my children starting out. As they got the hang of our brushing routine, they graduated to the toddlers fluoride-free toothpaste. Being that Xiomara learned how to spit pretty early, I was able to start brushing her teeth with fluoride toothpaste before the age of 3 and worked our way to using children’s mouthwash about 3 months before her 4th birthday. Now that all of the are kids are properly spitting out toothpaste, they all use mouthwash. Even the two year old will use mouthwash from time to time! She uses her older siblings as models. I began using fluoride-free toothpaste with her once she began imitating her siblings by spitting in the sink. There’s no rush to using fluoride toothpaste since most cities have fluoride in their water system already. I would recommend checking with your local water company to see if their water system contains fluoride. Public water with fluoride is a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay within the community. Not only does this help protect all ages against cavities but it’s natural!
We have also implemented flossing into our routine. I love using the children’s floss picks! It’s an easier way to floss in between their itty bitty teeth. I rotate between the flavored Crayola flossers and animal shaped flossers. It also allows me to squeeze in some sort of color and/or animal lesson during our brushing time.
There you have it … tooth brushing made easy for my household!
… Until next time …
