Children and oral hygiene
Adequate oral hygiene from a young age is extremely important.
A common opinion is that baby teeth should not be taken care of as much as permanent because they will definitely "fall out".
Unfortunately, that is not true. Baby teeth are important because they provide the child with normal function and aesthetics, but they also serve as placeholders for permanent successors. If a baby tooth becomes infected, it can damage the permanent one, and the premature loss of a baby tooth very often leads to orthodontic anomalies in the permanent dentition (crowding, a tooth that grows outside the dental arch, a tooth trapped in the bone that never erupts).
How to create a brushing habit in children?
While children are still too young and are not able to brush their teeth, it is important that you brush their teeth twice a day. When children become more independent, allow them to brush their teeth on their own, but under supervision. When they start to brush their teeth properly, supervision is no longer necessary.
Which toothpaste should children use?
Since small children do not have a spitting reflex, they swallow the paste. That is why it is important to use a toothpaste that has a small amount of fluoride (to avoid fluoride poisoning). That is why the FDI (World Dental Federation) determined the amount of fluoride that corresponds to the age of the child and the amount of paste that is applied to the brush.
| AGE | AMOUNT | PPM FLUORIDE (amount of fluoride) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months - 2 years | pea size | 500 ppm |
| 2 - 6 years | pea size | 1000 ppm |
| 6 + years | 1 - 2 cm | 1450 ppm (adult pastes) |
Proper nutrition in children
In addition to good oral hygiene, proper nutrition is also important. Avoid giving your child a lot of snacks (especially sweet ones), wean him off sticky candies and acidic drinks that damage the enamel and promote the formation of caries. For very young children, avoid giving a bottle with milk or a sweet drinks before bedtime, as this increases the chance of bottle caries.
It is a rapid, painless caries that progresses in just a few days and is able to amputate the crown of the tooth and lead to premature loss of baby teeth, and in the future, problems with the position of the teeth and the need for a mobile or fixed orthodontic appliance.
