Kids’ teeth are important for their health!

While dentists are the experts when it comes to healthy mouths in kids, pediatric healthcare providers get to examine those little mouths lots of times and try to keep those pearly whites strong. Dental cavities are considered a disease and are one of the most common diseases in kids. Cavities matter – even cavities in baby teeth that will be lost. Cavities are decay in the teeth caused by invading bacteria. Usually, cavities need to be removed due to pain and risk of spreading infection. Dentists try hard to make that process as easy as possible on children, but it can be scary and painful.

Any tooth can get a cavity. We encourage parents to start cleaning their baby’s teeth as soon as there are teeth. This is for two reasons: most importantly, to try to prevent cavities. But also, starting tooth care early helps kids get used to the twice-daily routine. Tooth cleaning in babies is with a soft toothbrush made for kids their age and a tiny amount of toothpaste – about the size of a grain of rice. As children get older, they can use more of a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Brushing should be two times per day, plus after any sugary foods or drinks, and for about two minutes per brushing.

As kids become independent, they often want to start brushing their own teeth. That’s wonderful and a great way to get them involved in caring for their own health. But it is equally important that parents still help with an after-brush to ensure all the teeth are thoroughly cleaned until your child can do this themselves. This is often not until children are in the middle elementary grades and sometimes even later.

An important part of preventing cavities in your child is having less sugar in contact with their teeth – meaning less sugary drinks and less sugary foods. Step one is to cut down or out sugary drinks. Step two is to save sugary foods for “once-in-awhile.” Step three is to clean children’s teeth after they have anything sugary in their mouth. Even babies sometimes get cavities from having prolonged contact with milk on their teeth. That is one reason pediatricians and dentists recommend not letting babies take a bottle of milk to bed or have all day access to a bottle or cup with milk or juice.

Of course, seeing a dentist is a crucial part of healthy teeth for kids. Pediatric dentists recommend all kids be seen by their first birthday.

For more information about caring for your child’s teeth, check out the many articles on this topic at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/oral-health/Pages/default.aspx.

You can make an appointment for your child to be seen at the Southern Ute Health Clinic to talk more about their oral health or anything else by calling 970-563-4581. To schedule an appointment for your child to be seen at the Southern Ute Dental Clinic, their number is 970-563-4719.