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- Published on Thursday, 12 January 2012 11:09
- Written by Paula Pierce
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Happy New Year to you all! Hopefully 2012 brings health and happiness to you and your families. Changing the calendar means an opportunity for a ‘fresh start’ and forming new habits, particularly for children. Having kids develop good oral care habits can’t happen soon enough. In light of February being National Children’s Dental Health Month, I want to give some pointers for kids to develop good brushing habits. First, some surprising facts:
18% of 2-4 year-olds have tooth decay
One out of 6 kids has decay that goes untreated
7% of kids under 17 have lost at least one tooth from decay
Tooth decay is 5 times more common that asthma
Some simple brushing habits to start your child with once they’re able to begin brushing on their own include using a toddler sized soft brush and putting a pea- sized amount of children’s toothpaste on it. Have your child get used to handling the brush and allow them to place it in their mouths on their own. Having a young one mimic you while you brush will certainly spark their interest and adding music to make it fun helps a lot.
The actual brushing involves using the brush gently, in a circular motion, starting with the upper front and working toward the back. Make sure the inner tooth surfaces are brushed too as well as the biting or ‘top’ sides. This is where mom and/or dad may need to help angle the brush appropriately. Once the uppers are done, the same steps can be used for the lowers. Sometimes the brush needs to be guided around the tongue to avoid a reflexive gag but with repeated practice, kids can be ‘desensitized’ as he/she gets accustomed to where the brush needs to go.
After about 30 seconds on the uppers and the same for the lowers, have your child rinse and spit out. It doesn’t harm anyone to every once in a while brush the tongue either.
Hopefully we can bring increased awareness to children’s health care needs and keep kids as healthy as possible. February (or sooner!) is the time to start forming good oral health habits that last a lifetime.
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