Children’s Oral Health
We know that parents are concerned about their children’s oral health during this time when appointments aren’t as freely available as normal. So we have put together some tips to follow until the time they are seen by their dentist at the practice.
- Gently clean a newborn babies gums with a cloth dampened with water to help prevent plaque bacteria
- Once teething begins at 4-6 months use a toothbrush with extra-soft bristles and a smear of fluoride toothpaste (think the size of a grain of rice) with at least 1000ppm of fluoride, don’t let them swallow the toothpaste, wipe away the excess if you need to
- Try to avoid sugary food and drinks for all ages and don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle of formula or juices that contain sugar, also try and stop them using a bottle completely by the age of one
- For children from the age of three and upwards make tooth brushing fun, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing at least 1350ppm on a child’s toothbrush and sing songs during brushing for two minutes or have a fun tooth brushing timer
- At around the age of eight years old your child can be allowed to brush their teeth but some supervision may still be needed, brushing should be the last thing they do before bed and on one other occasion during the day, they should spit out the excess toothpaste after brushing but not rinse with water
If you have any concerns regarding your child’s or your dental health please do not hesitate to contact the practice on 01625 422502 for advice.
For more information or to book an appointment call 01625 422502 or fill in our online form.