How to Keep Your Child’s Teeth Healthy

Part of being a parent is maintaining a focus on the health and well-being of your child, but without a dental background, it can be hard to know exactly what you should do to encourage your children to prioritize their oral health and ensure their teeth develop properly and without problems.

At Kids Corner Medical & Dental, we offer pediatric dental care in Oakville to help care for the oral health of your children and provide you with the information you need to support the healthy development of your child’s teeth.

Here are the questions we hear from parents most often.

1. When should I take my child for their first dental appointment?

While many parents wait until their child’s baby teeth have come through before scheduling their first pediatric dental appointment, this really isn’t necessary. We recommend bringing your child to visit the dentist before their first birthday – even if the baby teeth have not yet started showing.

Not only do early dental visits give your oral healthcare team the opportunity to check on the development of your child’s teeth under the gumline and identify any problems that are in their early stages, but these appointments are a great way to show your child that regular dental visits are nothing to fear. By making your children comfortable with the dentist, you help encourage them to grow into adults that prioritize their oral health and see regular dental visits as an integral part of their overall health and wellness.

2. How should I care for my child’s teeth at home?

Did you know you can start your home-based oral hygiene routine before the baby teeth come through? By gently brushing the gums with your finger or an infant toothbrush and a tiny bit of children’s toothpaste, you can clean and stimulate the gums and get your child accustomed to the process of oral cleaning.

At around two years old, your child is ready to learn about spitting after brushing their teeth to prevent them from swallowing the toothpaste.

3. When should I teach my child to floss?

Flossing is an important part of a consistent, thorough oral hygiene routine, and it’s an important skill to teach your child.

You can help your child learn to floss once they have two teeth adjacent to each other. Help them understand that this is an excellent way to clean their teeth and make sure that all the little food particles and germs that can get stuck between the teeth are effectively washed away.

4. When can my child brush and floss on their own?

While the answer to this questions is different for every parent and every child, it is recommended that you supervise your child’s home-based oral hygiene routine until you are confident they’ll actually complete the brushing and flossing on their own, and you’re no longer concerned that they’ll swallow the toothpaste. For many families, this is when the child reaches around 8 years of age.

If you have questions about your child’s oral health or you’re ready to get them started with regular dental visits, call our team at Kids Corner in Oakville to schedule an appointment today. If you rather request an appointment on line, complete the short contact form.