Healthy Living

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HOW TO PREVENT TOOTH DECAY IN CHILDREN?.

Handling the situation of a decayed tooth in your tot’s mouth can be a daunting task. A small child experiencing tooth ache can be quite a handful. Preventing tooth decay in your children is the best solution to stay away from the experience of trying to pacify a toddler with tooth pain. The main reason of tooth decay in children is found to be negligence towards cleanliness of the oral cavity or the mouth. The mouth of human beings has a variety of microbes that can lead to conditions like tooth decay, foul odor etc.. This can easily be prevented by following a few simple but very significant steps:

STEP 1: Make brushing twice a day a habit and a family affair. Accompany the child and brush your teeth with your child so that he/she will try to imitate you and in the process end up learning correct brushing techniques. Children hardly brush correctly, hence this way you will also get to supervise his/her brushing without letting them know, this will help build confidence of completing a task on their own. Include tongue cleaning during brushing; our tongue can harbor loads of bacteria that can give rise to foul smell from the mouth.

STEP 2: Do not keep snacks with sugars in the house. The easy availability of such snacks makes the child more prone to temptation and over eating. The constant munching of sweets and fried snacks not only makes the child prone to tooth decay but also obesity which is a primary concern among children. Limit snacking to not more than 5 to 6 times a day.

STEP 3: Make the child drink lots of water. This increases the saliva content in the child’s mouth. Saliva is a natural cleanser and hence helps prevent cavities. Try to inculcate the habit of drinking water after every snack and then rinsing the mouth with water. If eating out is on the agenda then dental wipes come in handy. These are available at most departmental stores. If these aren’t available then simply make the child drink water instead of any fruit juice or aerated soft drinks.

STEP 4: Visit a dentist 4 to 5 times a year. Cavities develop and progress faster in children, hence visiting a dentist often help in early detection of the same. Also this if done regularly will motivate the child towards a healthier lifestyle and make him/her more aware of taking care of one’s teeth and health in general. Ask for fluoridated sealants for the child, if needed, the dentist would advise accordingly.

STEP 5: For children who are older the habit of chewing on a sugar free gum after meals significantly reduces the risk of cavities. Older children can also be taught to floss early on so that this habit is inculcated in them early in life.

STEP 6: children learn from example. If there are older siblings in the house then they could set examples for the younger ones. A child’s attention is caught faster by other children rather than an adult.

And last but not the least together with your family strive towards a not only a disease free but also a healthier lifestyle both physically and mentally.

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