Between watching commercials and reading the latest parenting articles, it can seem impossible to keep your kids cavity-free. With so many techniques and gadgets, nothing less than a 20-step morning and night-time oral health routine seems like enough. Your child is unique: choosing the best fit for your family can take the confusion out of cavity prevention!
Help your teeth by eating a balanced diet.
Just like you can’t overcome a diet full of junk food with exercise alone, brushing your teeth twice a day cannot offset constant exposure to sugar from drinks and food. When a dentist finds cavities on the smooth surfaces or between teeth, a beverage is to blame. If you choose to have sugary drinks like soda, juice, or sweetened tea in your child’s diet, limit to a small amount with mealtime. Water is best!
Next, look for sugary foods that your child eats often. Teeth are in the cavity zone for 20-30 minutes after eating sugary foods. Limit the amount of sweets your child eats throughout the day and keep it to one sitting. Snacking on sweets can add up to hours of cavity formation time throughout the day. Remember that sticky sweets stay a lot longer in the grooves.
Brushing isn’t just for cleaning teeth.
Removing plaque from the teeth is important for gum health and fresh breath, but the real benefit of toothbrushing is application of fluoride toothpaste. Your child should use the right amount of toothpaste for their age, which is a grain of rice-sized smear for infants and a pea-sized amount for toddlers and young children. Fluoride helps rebuild tooth structure and can even reverse early cavities.
At night, make sure you brush, have your child spit, and then do not rinse. The fluoride needs to stay on the teeth through the night to be effective!
If your child is older, gets cavities easily, takes medicines that cause dry mouth, or wears braces or headgear, ask your dentist if a prescription toothpaste with higher amounts of fluoride is right for them.
The best toothbrush is the one you use.
There are many toothbrushes on the market because everyone has different needs. Some children cannot brush their teeth independently until they are 11 years old. Some children will always need help brushing their teeth due to motor skills and others will need help getting motivated. Think to yourself – would you trust your child to wash the dishes on their own? Now, would you trust them to brush all their teeth and all the corners of their mouth?
Younger babies do well with a very soft toothbrush that parents can use to clean the back teeth by the cheeks – remember to lift the lip to get near the gums of front teeth. Toddlers and preschoolers who still need someone to brush after them benefit from a toothbrush with a large handle. Older children may enjoy an electric toothbrush that has a built-in timer and does not require them to move their hand as much. The best toothbrush is the one that works for the parent/child team.
Floss after you master the basics.
Flossing helps with gum health, especially as we get older. For many parents and patients, flossing is also the most difficult task and they give up on it altogether because they can’t do it regularly. Once the baby teeth start to touch, you can try flossing. Don’t feel defeated if it’s a struggle for your little one - keep practicing flossing, even if it is not every day. Give most of your attention to your child’s diet and brushing with fluoride toothpaste. Plastic flossers may make it easier for younger kids.
When your child gets closer to puberty, ask for a flossing demonstration at your dentist’s office to help them learn the right skills. Teenagers with braces can use floss threaders or special floss with plastic ends.
There is no magic bullet to stay cavity-free, but you can do it. Keep the frequency of sugar as low as you can, brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. Focus on the basics and then add the extras that are a good fit for your family!
David Danesh, DMD, MPH, MS, a part of the physician team for Dentistry at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
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