Keeping teeth healthy is extremely important, especially in children. A healthy oral cavity means a healthier life. Moreover, teeth also play a vital role in appearance, and can become a sore point if they are yellow, or worse yet, rotting, full of cavities and a cause for bad breath.
Therefore, it is vital that habits that promote healthy teeth be encouraged from the very beginning, as poor dental health can lead to problems later in life as well.
If your child already has dental problems, they still need to visit their Dentist in Lahore and follow their advice, but you can also benefit from incorporating healthier eating habits in your children.
Ensuring healthy teeth in children
Avoid certain foods
Sugar may taste good, but that is all there is to it. It not only packs empty calories, but it also invites the bacteria over in the oral cavity to feast on the teeth. Consequently, for children who eat more sugary foods, the risk of tooth decay and cavities runs greater.
Chewy candies are especially bad, as they stick to the teeth. Sugary beverages like colas and juices also douse the teeth with sugar, so the teeth become bacteria’s breeding ground. Some like lemonades also have high acid content that cause even more damage to the teeth.
Hence, make sure that the sugar foods are limited, if not removed entirely, from your diet.
Natural foods like raisins and figs that are also high in sugar and are sticky. Since they offer health benefits otherwise, instead of limiting them, make your child brush their teeth after the consumption of such foods.
Brushing
Brushing twice a day is a must, and your children should know it. Encourage this habit in a healthier way, so that they do it responsibly on their own as well.
A vital point to make here is having a good brushing technique. Simply taking tooth paste and brush and scrubbing at the teeth is not enough; having the right motion is important. Ensure that they rub in circles, to coerce the plaque off their teeth.
To increase their interest in this habit, you can brush with them, or make a brushing song. After brushing, make sure that your child heads straight off to bed, without eating or drinking anything except water. If they need any medicines, administer them before brushing, as often, the syrups have sugar added to them to make them palatable.
Good diet
For strong teeth, having a good diet is important. Since the principal component of teeth is calcium, make sure your child drinks plenty of milk and other dairy products for to make their teeth strong.
Cheese is especially good, as not only is it flavorful and healthy, but it also promotes the secretion of saliva, that helps in washing the teeth.
Similarly, incorporate natural crunchy foods like apples, pears, cucumbers, carrots etc. that not only offer nutrition, but chewing of these relatively harder foods helps in scrubbing the teeth as well.
Time of eating also matters; constant snacking means that bacteria constantly have a supply of food to feed from. So, try to serve proper meals with minimal snacking.
Fluoride toothpaste
Always look for toothpaste with decent fluoride content. This mineral helps in making your teeth stronger by re-mineralizing them. It also then helps in preventing cavities. As fluoride also helps in reversing the caries, therefore, the impact is two-fold.
Fluoride also aids in preventing tooth decay. Hence, not just for the children, but for yourself too, get a toothpaste with good fluoride content.
Regular visits to the dentist
Regular visits to your Dentist in Karachi are not only important when your child is facing any visible tooth issues, but also when they are not; many issues become apparent towards latter stages. Hence, to catch problems in time, making regular visits to the dentist is important.
