No parent wants their child to have bad teeth, and yet, sometimes, your child will have poor teeth regardless, especially if they have enamel problems or struggle to brush their teeth well. Instead of feeling like you have failed as a parent, there are a number of actions that you can take to turn this around and ensure that they are able to enjoy a set of healthy adult teeth. Here is a short guide that can get you started.
Cut Down Sugary Treats
Your child might adore chomping on a sugary treat at the end of the school day. However, this sugary treat might be damaging your teeth without you even realizing it. This treat could end up causing tooth decay and could leave your child with a mouth full of fillings. As such, you should try to search for healthy and delicious alternatives that they will enjoy just as much. For instance, you might look at crackers, fruit, and carrot sticks. It is important that you do not cut out sugar completely, though, or else your child might feel as if they are missing out and crave it more. If that is the case, you should encourage them to brush their teeth half an hour after eating the treat in question, or you should just give them an occasional treat on special occasions.
Visit a Dentist
You might know that your child’s teeth are poor, and yet you might avoid going to the dentist with them because you are ashamed of what has happened to your child’s teeth. However, dentists have seen it all and are likely to be understanding. Not only this, but your child might be afraid of the dentist. You can combat this fear by looking out for books that explore trips to the dentist and giving yourself plenty of time to get them to the dentist in question. Once you have done this, you should look around for a dentist that you and your child feel comfortable with and trust. To do this, you might look for Wandsworth dentistry with Direct Dental, as they can put you at ease and ensure that you are not paying over the odds for any treatment for you or your child. It is important to stick to the dentist’s advice, though, and to reverse problems as soon as possible before they start to affect their adult teeth.
Supervise Brushing
Your children might want to be grown up and brush their teeth by themselves. However, if they are beginning to develop issues, this could be because they are not brushing well enough and this is leading to bacteria staying on the teeth for longer. If that is the case, you should make sure that you are supervising your child’s tooth brushing, even if this involves brushing your teeth at the same time. This will allow you to check what is going wrong and instruct them to improve their brushing technique. This will also mean that they are brushing for the right amount of time, and there are apps that can time this for you. If they are refusing to brush their teeth at all, you should try to make the experience more enjoyable for them by playing games or allowing them to change their toothbrush or their toothpaste flavor. You might even find that they look forward to tooth brushing once you have done this.
Child’s Teeth
Speak to Your Child
In cases where your child’s teeth have severe dental decay, it is important that you do not coddle them too much. You should ensure that they take responsibility for their teeth and that they understand why this has happened. However, you should make sure that you explain this to them in a child-friendly manner or they might be even more worried about or afraid of dental care in the future. You should also discuss any treatments that they need to have with them to check that they are prepared, but reassure them in any way possible, such as the fact they will have local anesthetic, that the procedure is safe and will be performed by a dentist they know, or that they will get a reward afterward.