Your BFF: Brushing, Flossing & Fluoride!
Cleaning your baby's teethBegin cleaning the baby's mouth during the first few days after birth. After every feeding, wipe the baby's gums either with a clean, wet guaze pad or with a washcloth or towel. This removes plaque and residual food and helps children become accustomed to having their mouth checked.
When your infant's teeth begin to erupt, it is important to clean them regularly. You may continue to use a guaze pad or cloth to clean the incisors after feedings until the back teeth (molars) begin to erupt (usually around 12 months of age). Once a molar appears, brush all teeth gently with a child's size soft toothbrush & water. Position your child so you can see into the mouth easily; you might want to sit, resting your baby's head in your lap.
Cleaning your child's teeth
When your child can predictably spit and not swallow toothpaste, begin brushing the teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. We really don't recommend using a fluoridated toothpaste before the child is 3 years old. Check your child's toothbrush often and replace it when it is worn. Bent or frayed bristles will not remove plaque effectively. Begin using floss when adjacent teeth are touching. Flossing is important to prevent cavities from developing between teeth. We recommend the Dino-flossers or the Reach Access to help make flossing more fun and easier on you as a parent!
Brush and floss your child's teeth until he or she is at least six years old. By age six or seven, children should be able to brush their own teeth twice a day, with supervision, until about age 10 or 11, to make sure they are doing a thorough job. However, each child is different. Typically we say that when a child is able to write in cursive they have the dexterity to brush properly on their own.
Choose a child-size toothbrush for ease of use. The variety of colors and designs can provide extra fun and motivation to keep children brushing. There are also powered or mechanical brushes available for children, we sell the Crest Spin Brush in our office for $6.00. For some children, this makes brushing more fun, so they are more willing to sit for the recommended 2 minutes of brushing. If your tweener or teenage child is struggling with brushing a Sonicare might be in order. We highly recommend this brush, every staff member we have uses one and would never go back to the old standby toothbrush. Sonicares really take you to the next level of brushing with its dynamic cleaning action. They guarantee their product and the new FlexCare has been clinically proven to help reduce gingivitis.
Proper brushing removes plaque from the inner, outer and chewing surfaces. When teaching how to brush, you may wish to stand behind the child and hold the brush to be certain that brushing is done properly.
Floss once a day
If the back molars are touching, it is time to floss! Flossing removes plaque between the teeth where a toothbrush can't reach.
Because flossing is a difficult skill to master, you should floss your child's teeth until he or she can do it alone. Show your child how to hold the floss and gently clean between teeth. At about age 10 or 11, your child should be able to floss between teeth under your supervision. We can check at the 6 month cleaning appointments if your child may be ready to floss on their own.
Focus on Fluoride
Cavities used to be a fact of life. But during the past few decades, tooth decay has been dramatically reduced. The key reason: fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water sources, including the oceans. Research has shown that fluoride not only prevents cavities, it also helps repair the early stages of tooth decay even before the decay is visible.
During childhood, when teeth still are forming, fluoride works by making tooth enamel more resistant to the acid that causes tooth decay. After teeth erupt, the benefits are just as great. Fluoride helps repair, or remineralize, areas where the acid attacks have already begun.
Fluoride is obtained in two forms: topical and systemic. Topical fluorides may be found in toothpastes, mouth rinses and fluoride applied in the dental office. Systemic fluorides are those that are swallowed. They include fluoridated water and dietary fluoride supplements in the form of tablets or drops. The maximum reduction in tooth decay is achieved when fluoride is available both topically and systemically.
Water fluoridation provides both topical and systemic benefits for preventing tooth decay. Community water fluoridation is an extremely effective and inexpensive means of obtaining the fluoride necessary for optimal prevention of tooth decay. THERE IS NO FLUORIDE IN OUR WATER SUPPLY HERE IN LANE COUNTY. Children who regularly drink bottled water, well water or unfluoridated tap water may be missing the benefits of fluoride.