When is a good time to schedule my child’s first dentist appointment? Should my 4-year-old child be flossing their teeth? How do I know if my child needs braces or not? So many parents have a hard time understanding their kids’ dental needs. They know that their child needs dental care to prevent cavities, but they don’t know when is the perfect time for them to visit a dentist in Orem. So, here are some guidelines that can help.
When Should My Child Start Brushing Their Teeth?
The earliest your child can start brushing their teeth is when their first teeth start to appear. This is a great way to start practicing good oral hygiene. Just because you can barely see the teeth, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get brushed. A child’s teeth actually start to show in the second trimester of pregnancy and at birth, the child already has about 20 primary teeth, but they don’t necessarily show.
Here’s how to care for those little teeth:
- Before your child starts their teething period you should run a wet washcloth over their gums to wipe off any bad bacteria.
- When your child starts to develop and show teeth you need to brush them with a toothbrush that’s made for infants.
- As soon as the child’s teeth start to touch you can then start to floss them.
- Around the age of two, you need to teach your child how to spit while brushing their teeth. Make sure they don’t rinse their teeth with water because they can swallow the toothpaste.
- Children that are 3 years and older should only use pea-sized amounts of toothpaste.
- You need to always supervise your kids while they are brushing their teeth so that they don’t swallow the toothpaste.
Even kids can develop tooth decay. Putting your child to sleep with a bottle in their mouth can harm them. Drinks with big amounts of sugars can eat away the enamel which can lead to tooth decay. When a tooth decay starts to develop, the child’s front teeth can start to look discolored and pitted. If cavities are left untreated, teeth might end up getting pulled out.
When Is The Right Time To See A Dentist?
It is recommended that your child sees the dentist for the first time around their first birthday or when they turn one. During their first dental appointment, their dentist will explain how to properly floss and brush their teeth while the child sits on your lap.
It is important that you take your child to the dentist because dental visits can help find issues early as well as help your kid get used to seeing the dentist so that they don’t get afraid in the future. Take your kid to a dentist who specifically specializes in helping younger kids. Pediatric dentists are perfect for younger kids or toddlers and they are trained to handle issues that are associated with kids’ dental health. They can also refer you to different types of dentist in Orem such as orthodontists for wisdom teeth removal and braces or an oral surgeon for jaw alignment.