Looking after your children’s teeth

Teaching children to brush their teeth can sometimes feel like trying to get blood out of a stone. Words of encouragement and leading by example are good ways to help motivate children, but what else can you do to help children understand the importance of looking after their teeth?

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When I was growing up I’ll openly admit that I didn’t brush my teeth everyday. I don’t know why, I guess it was just a teenage thing?

Nowadays I brush my teeth everyday and I would never dream of not doing so!

I have had some teeth whitening done as my teeth were a bit stained from drinking tea, but aside from one crooked tooth in the front, my teeth are in pretty good condition.

My one crooked tooth doesn’t overly bother me, but I have been thinking recently about getting it fixed.

Procedures such as Invisalign i7, which is an exciting new treatment designed for patients who have very minor orthodontic issues such as crooked teeth, are available at very reasonable prices nowadays.

With all the modern technology we have around it’s easy for us to get that ‘celebrity white’ smile, but children should be able to maintain their pearly whites into old age just by taking good care of them.

Here are some tips for looking after your children’s teeth:

• As soon as your babies first tooth appears get into the habit of cleaning them. It can be easy to overlook if your child only has one tooth, but regular cleaning will also help to get your child used to having their teeth cleaned
• Use fluoride toothpaste as this helps to prevent and control tooth decay
• Brush your child’s teeth for around two minutes, twice a day. I find it helps to ask them if they can roar like a tiger or bear as this helps encourage them to open their mouth wide!
• When your child is old enough to brush their own teeth, help guide their hand to ensure they brush the teeth right at the back too
• Using an egg timer can help to make tooth brushing fun
• Take your child with you when you go to the dentist and let them see that going regularly is a good thing