1. Letting kids brush alone… Though young kids want independence, children don’t have the dexterity to brush on their own and do a thorough job until about 8 yrs old. Let them brush first with toothpaste, rinse and spit and then parents “check it” at least once a day, going over all the teeth with just water.
2. Putting a baby to bed with a bottle or sippy cup… Nutritionally it is not necessary. Parents do it to make bed time easier, but they are starting bad habits which is the fastest way to cause serious cavities.
3. Making a child’s first dental appointment too late… Some parents think the first appointment should be between 2-3 yrs old. This is too late. Cavities can already be there! The first appointment should be at the child’s 1st birthday.
4. Thinking cavities in baby teeth are no big deal… Baby teeth serve a very important purpose. Baby teeth maintain space for permanent teeth. If space is lost in the baby tooth due to decay eating away the tooth, this can cause crowding in adult teeth. Also, cavities can lead to severe infections causing problems in permanent teeth and unnecessary pain for the child.
5. Using fluoride… Fluoride is one of the best ways to prevent cavities. The ADA recommends toothpaste the size of a grain of rice for ages 2-3 and pea size for ages 3-6.
6. Loading up on sports drinks… Sport drinks are a common cause of tooth decay in older children. Sport drinks have acid and sugar in them. By bathing teeth in sport drinks all day long, (at lunch, after school, during sports or gaming, at dinner, and in the evening), the acid and sugar burns holes in the enamel of their teeth causing decay between the teeth.
Comments are closed.