Oral Health Starts in the Womb! Did you know that children’s teeth begin to develop before birth? During as early as the sixth week of pregnancy, embryonic cells or “tooth buds” begin to form that will eventually grow into baby teeth. By twenty weeks, the tooth buds of permanent teeth begin to develop as well. This just goes to show that it’s never too early to start thinking about your kids’ oral health!

How Does Brushing Help Our Teeth?

Brushing your child’s teeth at least twice a day – in the morning and before bed – helps to remove plaque and bacteria that can cause infant tooth decay or gum disease.

A Guide to Brushing Baby and Toddler Teeth

As soon as babies get their first tooth, it should be brushed regularly. Here at BRAIDC, we know that getting your little ones to stay cooperate, so we thought we would share a few helpful tips with you:

Keep it fun. Elmo has a great pop tune that may help! Or, you could choose to go old school with Raffi! These are the favorites in our household!

Sing it out. Singing a song while brushing your child’s teeth can help them learn how long they should be brushing and it is a good distraction. Anything from ABCs to Let It Go.

Be gentle! Tough scrubbing can make them adverse to letting you continue to brush their teeth.

Brush in a circular motion to clean all the teeth and gums.

Let babies take a turn with the toothbrush-even if they are just chewing on it.

Chewing on a wet wash cloth is a great alternative if baby is pushing away the toothbrush.

Toothpaste is a treat not a necessity, so use it to your advantage! Be sure that you’re using a trusted brand of toothpaste – do some research on ingredients and user reviews.

Brush together. Children will be more likely to want to brush and floss when they see someone else doing it.

Play dentist! Taking turns and checking each others teeth is a way to make brushing fun.

Talk about the tooth fairy.  She will want clean teeth in exchange for that shiny quarter (although today’s going rate may be a bit more).

To Toddlers – And Beyond!

As your kids age, it’s so important that they visit the dentist regularly. If they play sports, always use a mouth guard! The most common dental emergencies among the youth occurs during sports. Flossing regularly should begin around age four. By age eight, they should be able to floss on their own.

Most importantly, make oral care fun! Brushing and flossing can be a silly part of the daily routine if you make it out to be!

From infancy to adulthood, BRAIDC is ready to help you every step of the way. Here are a few pictures of our little ones practicing their brushing:

  

 

 

Call today and set up an appointment for your little one(s)! We can’t wait to meet them!