The childhood dental care your kid receives is important to encouraging their lifelong oral health. There are many methods of preventing cavities (or tooth decay) in your child's teeth, and our Smile Town Langley dentists are here to make a few recommendations.
Daily Oral Hygiene
Encouraging your child in their daily brushing and flossing routine is one of the best ways to prevent cavities. Children should floss their teeth at least once and brush their teeth 2-3 times per day
Brushing and flossing clean out the food bits and harmful plaque before they are able to damage your child's teeth.
Diet
The main dietary causes of cavities are sugars and acid. Sugar feeds plaque-making bacteria and acids erode tooth enamel.
Because of this, a diet that is low in sugary and acidic foods can be an excellent way to help prevent cavities.
Regular Dental Check-Ups and Cleanings
Regularly visiting your dentist for check-ups beginning when your child is young gives the dentist opportunities to recognize developing cavities. They can also maintain your kid's primary teeth and monitor their emerging adult teeth for signs of decay.
Regular dental cleanings can help prevent cavities as well. Dentists, like those at Smile Town Langley, can clean teeth more thoroughly than you can at home with their specialized equipment and techniques.
Fluoride
Fluoride helps strengthen your teeth's hard outer enamel, and can even reverse early stages of tooth decay. Sometimes extra fluoride is added to the water we drink.
Before introducing fluoride toothpaste to your young child's daily brushing, ask your dentist. Too much fluoride can be a problem for children.
Sealants
There are plenty of hard-to-clean places where a cavity could form in the nooks and crannies between your child's teeth.
Dental sealants can be applied to fill in those nooks and crannies though. This creates a smooth surface that won't allow build-ups of food and bacteria and is easier to maintain.
Preventative Orthodontics
Misaligned teeth have more irregular nooks and crannies and can be more difficult to clean than straight, even teeth.
If your child's dentist may recommend preventative orthodontics to help avoid cavities if they detect early signs of misalignments.