Children's Dental Health: Tips for Parents

In this guide, we’re sharing some of our favourite dental health tips for parents to help make things a little easier.

Develop a routine for brushing teeth

Once something becomes a routine, your child will do it on autopilot without putting up a fight. You can make teeth brushing a routine by turning it into a game. 

You could have a song that you always play while they brush their teeth. A song that is 2 minutes long would be perfect as this is how long they should brush their teeth for. A fun toothbrush and child-friendly toothpaste will also help to encourage healthy habits.

Don’t make the dentist a scary character

It’s common for parents to use the threat of a visit to the dentist to ​“scare” their children into brushing their teeth. This might be effective in the short-term, but in the long-term, your child could develop a phobia of the dentist that is difficult to shake.

An easier way to achieve the same thing is to encourage them to see that the dentist is a good figure in their life, so they should strive to ​“impress” their dentist with their good oral health habits. Encourage your child to share other aspects of their life with their dentist, such as drawings they have completed or toys they have built.

Avoid sweets as rewards

Sweets don’t have to be off limits altogether, but they should be limited as much as possible. Rather than using sweets as a reward for good behaviour, try offering other things like a trip to their favourite place of their favourite food for dinner. This will help to break out of the habit of seeing sweets as a source of encouragement.

Beware of hidden sugars

Snacks like raisins are popular treats for young children, but they are actually quite bad for developing teeth. Raisins and other dried fruits are very high in sugar and also very sticky. This means that the raisins will stick to the teeth and this could encourage bacteria build up.

Raisins don’t have to be off-limits forever, but try offering regular fruit instead of dried fruit. You can also offer snack-sized cheese, yoghurts, or carrot sticks as a tooth-friendly snack.

Ask your dentist for advice

Your child’s dental checkup is a perfect chance to ask questions about anything from thumb-sucking to bottle feeding. If you start dental checkups from the time your child’s first tooth emerges, you’ll be able to encourage them to feel at ease in the dentist’s chair. You’ll also have a chance to ask questions and feel confident in your approach to oral health at home.

Remember milk teeth are important, too

It’s a common myth that the milk teeth are just the ​“trial” teeth, so parents don’t need to worry as much about dental decay. In fact, issues with the milk teeth can quickly turn into issues with the adult teeth. And children will develop habits that will be hard to break, even after their adult teeth arrive.

It’s far better to encourage children to take care of their milk teeth and their adult teeth, as this is the easiest way to avoid painful conditions like tooth decay, and more trips to the dentist for extractions and fillings.

Get your child on the right track to better oral health with our help. Book an appointment today to help your child develop excellent oral health habits.