One of the most common features many of us are drawn to is our child’s smile. Not only does it help us to understand their emotional wellbeing, it’s also an important measure of their physical health too. Keeping a child’s mouth healthy is vital. Teeth help them to chew and digest food, talk and pronounce different sounds clearly. Teeth also help to give their face its shape. This is why it is so important to give your child’s teeth the best care possible. For this year’s National Smile Month, the Oral Health Foundation will be providing advice and support for taking care of children’s oral health.
Pregnancy
Bleeding gums is a common occurrence during pregnancy due to hormone changes, so more visits to the dentist and good oral hygiene are recommended. Take extra care with your oral hygiene routine, brushing twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste and cleaning in between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss. Poor oral hygiene can impact foetal growth and development, so during pregnancy it’s even more important to take care of your oral health. You’re brushing your teeth for two! Dental treatment is perfectly safe during pregnancy but inform the dentist before treatment that you are pregnant. You are also entitled to free NHS dental treatment, including check-ups and prescriptions, if you are pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months.
more likely it is that they will carry these habits into adulthood. We recommend getting your baby used to the sensation of toothbrushing as soon as possible. You may find it easier to stand or sit behind your baby, cradling their chin in your hand so you can reach their top and bottom teeth more easily using a small smear of children’s toothpaste to clean them. Use a small-headed soft toothbrush in small circular movements and try to concentrate on one section at a time.
Babies and toddlers
Expect teething to begin from around six months and last until all 20 baby teeth come through. Signs of teething include swollen or red gums where the tooth is coming through and the cheek on the side of the mouth where the tooth is appearing may also be red. Some children will experience disrupted sleeping patterns too. If your baby or toddler drops a dummy on the floor when you’re out many parents will then lick the dirt off before giving it back to them. But when you do this, you’re passing on your saliva and potentially tooth-decay causing bacteria. There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that if you have poor oral health, there is a chance you can pass it on to your child so rather than sucking the dummy before you give it back to them, keep a bottle of water in your bag to rinse any dirt off instead. It’s never too early to learn good oral hygiene habits. We want to build habits that last a lifetime and so the earlier you introduce toothbrushing to your child the more natural it will become, and the 29
