A mother should keep her children’s teeth healthy, and protect them from decay and falling out. And teach them hygiene habits from early childhood.
According to a report published by “Step to Health” and translated by “Arabic 21”, promoting oral hygiene in children is very important, because the health of their future teeth depends on it, and tooth decay can affect children as it happens with adults.
The report stated that the best way to prevent tooth decay in children is to teach them good oral hygiene habits from early childhood.
What is oral hygiene in children?
The report pointed out that caring for a child’s teeth means much more than preventing them from turning yellow, although this is a problem that annoys us from an aesthetic point of view, but good oral hygiene in children is much more than just having white, shiny teeth.
And when we talk about keeping their mouths clean, we are talking about teeth, cheeks and tongue, just as a healthy mouth means, healthy and white teeth, without food residues or the presence of plaque or tartar, and rosy gums, which do not bleed when brushing, and fresh breath.
In order to keep your child’s mouth clean, you should take these steps:
Toothbrush
The toothbrush must be age appropriate, and you can ask a reliable dentist what type of bristles are best for your child, and it is also important for children to learn to brush their teeth manually, even if they have an electric toothbrush.
Tooth paste
And choose an age-appropriate toothpaste, too, and ask your doctor about the best brand and whether or not they should contain fluoride.
Dental floss
Dentists recommend that children start using dental floss with assistance starting at the age of 4 years, and at about the age of eight or nine they will be ready to do it themselves.
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Oral hygiene advice for children
Good oral hygiene in children means prevention, and the first preventive step is to take care of them before they encounter problems. That’s why it’s so important to follow these tips:
First: Start brushing and brushing the teeth at an early age, as mothers often think that oral hygiene in children only refers to brushing the teeth, but this is not correct, for this reason it is important to take care of the mouths of your children from a young age.
Therefore, clean the gums with a piece of gauze, and then when the teeth start to appear, wash them gently, and this way you can prevent the development of tooth decay by them.
Second, brush their teeth at least twice a day. Ideally, it was recommended that children brush their teeth three times a day: upon waking, after lunch, and after dinner, by brushing properly.
This is done by putting a small amount of toothpaste on the brush, but it should not be larger than a pea, then clean the inner part of the teeth first, one by one, and remember to place the brush at an angle to clean the place where the teeth meet with the gums.
Clean the outer surfaces of the teeth one by one and continue to place the brush in an angle, then clean the heads of the teeth one by one, in addition to that, special attention must be paid to the back teeth, and finally, do not forget to clean the tongue as well.
The report pointed out that if the child is more than four years old, they can start using flossing, making sure not to damage their gums, so we advise the mother to be patient because it is likely to be difficult at first.
Third: Avoid excess sugars, of course, children can eat sweets, but in moderation, but for example sweets stick to their teeth and if young people do not brush their teeth, sugar may damage them, causing decay.
Fourth: Eat a balanced diet, as a healthy diet is not only good for their health, but it is also beneficial for oral health in particular, so include foods rich in calcium, phosphorous and fluorine in the diet of your children so that they have strong and healthy teeth.
For her part, nutritionist Heba Akef Al-Rasas indicated that healthy nutrition protects the health of the child’s mouth and teeth, stressing the need for the child’s diet to be healthy and balanced and contains the important elements for the growth of healthy teeth and a clean mouth.
Read also: How to remove tartar from the teeth without going to the doctor?
In an interview with Arabi 21, Heba explained that “baby teeth are more sensitive to external influences, as the fermentation of sugars in foods and drinks leads to the formation of lactic acid and other organic acids.”
She added: “The presence of these acids in a high concentration on the surfaces of the teeth for a long time leads to a gradual erosion of the enamel layer, as a result of the dissolution of calcium phosphate and the weakening of tooth enamel.”
She pointed out that good and healthy nutrition and a proper diet since childhood contributes to reducing tooth decay and reducing gum problems, Therefore, the nutritionist advised mothers to take these steps to protect the oral health of their children:
First: Ensure that the child should eat the following foods: milk, cheeses and eggs, because they contain calcium and phosphorous, which are essential elements in the composition of the teeth, and thus contribute to reducing the chances of tooth decay.
Second: The proportion of protein in the child’s diet should be increased, and it is present in a good proportion in meat, poultry and fatty fish. Proteins are important for oral and dental health. Also, an increase in the amino acid arginine present in spinach, lentils and eggs reduces the pH of the mouth and thus reduces the chances of decay and tooth decay.
Third: Probiotics are very important for dental health, and that is why the mother should make sure that her child consumes milk that contains this element, as it contributes to reducing the chances of caries, as the beneficial bacteria in milk and fermented foods reduce the growth of germs and microorganisms in the oral cavity.
Fourth: It is advised that the child should eat berries, which include red berries, cherries and strawberries, as they are rich in malic acid that is used in toothpastes, and this acid increases the secretion of saliva, which cleans the teeth and helps remove tartar.
Fifthly: Eat foods rich in fiber, such as leafy vegetables, as fiber reduces the chances of depositing food residues on the teeth, thus preventing bacterial plaque.
Sixth: Take care to eat foods rich in vitamin D, such as oily fish, egg yolks and fortified milk, as this vitamin protects and maintains dental health and safety.
Nutritionist Heba Akef Al-Rasas advised mothers to avoid children eating sweets and chocolate because they contain sugars that are harmful to the health of the mouth and teeth.
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