Taking care of the child’s oral and dental hygiene starts before and during the mother’s pregnancy because the mother’s nutrition and health are very important for forming the jaw bones and especially the child’s teeth. Also, as a professional dentist at pediatric dentistry in Toronto says, if the mother’s teeth are decayed, there is a possibility of transmitting decay-causing microbes to the baby. After the baby is born, before the first tooth erupts, oral and dental hygiene begins and is very important. If a child’s primary teeth are well taken care of, the teeth will be healthy in old age. They act as a guide for the growth of permanent teeth and are crucial for the formation and development of the child’s mouth and jaw. These teeth have a big impact on speech and food chewing as well. Primary tooth decay is one of the problems that most people face.
The Importance of Taking Care of Baby Teeth
Milk teeth are like a guide for the growth of permanent teeth, so taking care of these teeth is very important. Many problems of tooth decay in adulthood are caused by a lack of oral and dental hygiene in childhood. Failure to care for tooth decay in childhood can cause aggravation of infection and oral and dental diseases.
To some extent, these infections involve the face and other body areas. To take care of these teeth, observe the following points:
- Many mothers breastfeed their children at night to calm them down, but you should remember that they should rinse their child’s mouth before going to sleep.
- The use of regular toothpaste does not have enough fluoride for the child’s teeth, so use the necessary amount of fluoride toothpaste with the dentist’s advice.
- Due to its acidity, juice greatly increases the chance of tooth decay for children, so it is better to give your children fresh fruit instead of juice.
- Decayed teeth and infection in the mother’s mouth can easily be transmitted to the baby, so keep your baby’s container separate.
- Sweet drinks can harm children’s teeth, so try to reduce the consumption of these juices for your child and teach him to rinse his mouth after consuming them.
- Saliva decreases during sleep, so try to reduce the consumption of sugary foods when the child’s sleep is close.
The Cause of Tooth Decay in Children
When oral bacteria produce acid, they can cause tooth decay by destroying tooth enamel. Below are some of the causes of tooth decay in children.
- The transfer of saliva from the parent’s mouth to the child’s mouth
When parents or babysitters feed their children with their spoons and forks, they can transfer bacteria from their mouths to the child’s mouths. Giving water to the child with your glass or cleaning the child’s pacifier with the mouth can also be factored in transferring germs to the child’s mouth.
- Food remaining in the child’s mouth
If food and liquids remain in the child’s mouth throughout the day and for a long time, the bacteria in the mouth increase the possibility of tooth decay by converting food sugar into acid.
- Drinking milk and consuming the sweet juices of a child while sleeping are other things that can cause tooth decay in a child.
Nutritional Recommendations
The importance of nutrition affects the health of the mouth and teeth; some of the points that you should pay attention to are:
- Try to minimize your child’s consumption of sweets and chocolate and teach your child to wash his mouth with water after consuming them.
- Encourage your child to sip on water frequently throughout the day.
- Consider a suitable diet for your child to reduce the possibility of dental problems by getting various vitamins and minerals.
- Include calcium-rich food sources such as milk and yogurt, which help strengthen teeth, in your child’s diet.