Oral Hygiene for Children
Dietary Advice for Children
Always consult healthy eating pyramid.
1) Pregnancy
- Follow healthy eating pyramid in conjunction with health care professionals advice.
- Take prenatal supplements as prescribed.
- Limit the intake of cariogenic foods for example those containing high amounts of sucrose.
2) Birth - 1 Year
- Avoid dipping pacifiers into sweetened food.
- Avoid excessive consumption of juice/sugars contained in drinks.
- Encourage weening at 6 months.
3) 1-2 years
- Continue the avoidance of the bottle to bed.
- Establish a routine eating plan.
- Avoid and discourage slowly eaten sugar containing foods. Its very important to note that decay in children and adults is related to the frequency and form and amount of sugar intake, so avoid.
4) 2 - 5 years
- Promote nutritious non cariogenic/non decay causing foods for snacks.
- Encourage majority of snacks to be consumed at regular mealtimes.
If you require further assistance your dentist will carry out a dietary analysis with you and your child.
Tips on weening child
- If child is already in the habit of bringing a bottle of juice to bed, gradually dilute the juice step by step with water until eventually only water remains.
- Its very important to never allow the child to eat in bed. Sugary sticky foods will be retained on the teeth. At night saliva levels drop dramatically which reduces its antimicrobial function. Always children should be fed and than put to bed.
Always ensure children's medicine is sugar free
Oral Hygiene for Children
- Use a flouride containing toothpaste at least 500ppmf - On the tooth paste packet.
- Use a small child sized toothbrush when child has sufficient manual dexterity.
- Always supervise children 2-7 years ensuring only a small pea-sized amount of toothpaste is used as to ensure swallowing is avoided.
- Brush for at least 2-3 minutes.
- Start with the surface of the teeth nearest the cheek and lips - Use circular motions with the tooth brush ensuring to contact both the gums.
- On the biting surfaces brush back and forth (never brush back and forth on the surfaces nearest the cheek and lips this will cause the gums to receed.
- On the surfaces nearest the tongue, flick the toothbrush in an outwards motion.
Do this for both upper and lower teeth.
- For children over 2 years it is advised to brush teeth with a toothbrush and tap water. If a child is at high risk for developing dental decal - Ask your dentist.
Never use mouthwash if child is below 7 years.
- If you require any further advice please enquire within.
