A Comprehensive Guide to Protecting your Child’s Teeth

If a parent is looking for a proper time to consult the pediatric wing of Canberra dental care for their child, then he/she should start immediately. Dental care at an early age can reduce the risk of cavities and gum problems. It can also help achieve proper alignment of teeth among teenagers.
To start dental care for an infant, here are a few steps to follow:
- Use a wet cloth or gauge where teeth haven’t cropped out yet. Wiping the area reduces the chance of tartar and food particle buildup in those areas.
- Get a smaller toothbrush and brush gently in and around the mouth with lukewarm water.
If these steps are coming across as foreign, do not fret. A visit to the nearest dental center before the child hits two years of age can prevent future problems like swelling or inflammation of the gums.
Best practices to keep a kid’s mouth healthy
- Brushing: Hardwiring the brain of a kid early on can result in developing good oral hygiene. Making the child listen to a two-minute song twice daily to make him brush for the whole duration is an easy way for them to take care of themselves.
- Using toothpaste without fluoride: Toothpaste with fluoride is effective in the removal of built-up food debris. It reinforces the enamel on the teeth and strengthens them. But fluoride toothpaste can cause a child’s teeth to discolor and break.
- Routine Dental Consultation: Dentists have specialized tools like a scraper or brush to clean the plaque and particles from parts of the mouth that are hard to reach. Making dental visits every month can be a healthy routine and maintain the oral hygiene of the family.
- Better Diet: If a child craves a sugary snack or drink, there are healthy snacking options that can help with the cravings while protecting the teeth from cavities.
- Mouthwash: Rinsing the mouth with a mild chemical-based mouthwash that can help with cleaning the parts of the mouth that are hard to clean with a brush.
Symptoms of dental problems in children:
Knowing the warning signs and symptoms of common pediatric dental issues is crucial for prompt treatment. The following are some of the distress signals for trivial dental problems:
- Sudden loss of hunger
- Kids may not be vocal about their pain, and they might refuse to eat citrusy or sour foods. Sour foods can inflict sharp pain when hitting the gums or nerves under the crown.
- Vomiting after a meal
- Bad breath
- Blood from gums
Common teeth problems in children
Cavities: Cavity formation can happen due to a lot of factors, including:
- A sugar-rich diet comprising cereal and bread can harm the teeth.
- A habit of snacking throughout the day may harm the teeth adversely. Snacks may consist of candies, chips, and soft drinks.
- If a child has braces fit in, it can cause cavities to form as it takes time to clean the teeth.
- A painful sensation in response to a cold or hot food can cause be indicative of cavity issues.
Mouth Ulcers: Mouth ulcers are uncomfortable white sores that can develop or occur on the tongue, cheeks, or lips. They can happen due to an injury or irritation in the mouth. Conditions that can cause mouth ulcers are:
- Blister due to fever or cold sore
- Kawasaki disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Bechet’s disease
Dental Sealants for kids
A Dental Sealant is a quick, simple, and painless way to avoid cavities. It is a slim, plastic layer that attaches itself to the molars and premolars. A report suggests that kids aged six to eleven without a dental sealant are three times more susceptible to cavities than those with one.
A staggering 90% of the time, cavities are present in the back teeth. So, it should be a priority to protect them early on.
Millions of youngsters who might not receive regular dental care might benefit from this successful preventive intervention thanks to school dental sealant programs. Increased sealant use among children from low-income families can significantly lower tooth decay.
Children residing in Australia get covered under the Medicare Child Dental Benefit. The Australian government’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule offers up to $1026 in benefits over two concurrent calendar years, covering most mainstream dental services.
For a child to be eligible for CDBS cover, they must:
- Not be more than 17 years of age.
- Their immediate family members should get grants under the ‘Family Tax Benefit-Part A’ or a similarly applicable Australian Government payment.
In conclusion, Canberra Dental Care has a lot of options of good doctors to choose from that can help fix a child’s teeth and make that cute smile melt hearts. A child’s oral health and hygiene can go a long way. Dental care can also protect the teeth from serious problems from further developing into something worse.