Half of the country's 3-year-old children suffer from dental caries! Do these 5 points, let your child have healthy teeth!
Two days ago, a fan sent me a private message and said: "My child is a little over 1 year old. Yesterday, I found black things on his teeth. I wanted to clean him with a toothbrush, but I couldn't brush it off. What's the matter? Did the child start to have cavities at such a young age?"
I asked them carefully about their family's eating habits and their child's daily oral care, and the fan replied, "Ah? Does the child start oral care at such a young age? I don't know! What should I do now? ?"
When I saw her reply, I really felt like I was going to faint...
In life, there are really many such "confused" mothers. Many mothers think that the child is still young, and the deciduous teeth have not yet grown in, so what kind of oral care should be taken? After the deciduous teeth are replaced with permanent teeth, it will be better to take care of it?
However, according to the fourth national oral health epidemiological survey, the caries rate of children aged 3 in China reached 50.8%, that of 5-year-olds was 71.9%, and that of 12-15-year-old permanent teeth was 41.9%. Parents are the first responsible for their children's dental health. In the face of such severe data, parents and mothers can't take it lightly!
In fact, dental care can begin before your baby's first tooth appears. Whether you are an older child or a child, you should pay attention to oral hygiene and start proper dental care as soon as possible in order to effectively prevent tooth decay.
So, what can we do in our daily life so that our children can have healthy teeth?
First, pay attention to cleaning teeth
- The baby has no teeth
Parents should clean their mouths and massage their gums every day. It is best to use gauze or cotton swab dipped in hot water every time after the baby drinks milk, gently stroke and wipe the baby's gums, and massage the gums a little.
- After the baby has teeth
① From teething to 2 years old
It is recommended to brush your teeth at least once a day before going to bed after teething, use a soft-bristled toothbrush for babies, and use a total amount of toothpaste no more than a pea-sized amount a day. This is a safe dose that children can accept. Don't worry too much about causing too much harm to the child.
② After 2 years old
Brush morning and evening, and slowly transition to using a children's toothbrush, about the size of a pea at a time.
③ Over 6 years old
At this point, the child can switch to a harder, longer-bristled toothbrush. Brushing your teeth after breakfast is better than brushing before meals. Babies who are accustomed to breastfeeding and have a sweet tooth can increase the frequency of brushing as appropriate.
- Control the intake of sweets
Sweets, fruit juices, sugary drinks, and sweets (especially sticky gummies, vitamin gummies) in your child's daily diet can erode tooth enamel and cause tooth decay.
Therefore, parents and mothers should usually be careful not to let their children eat too many such snacks and candies. Children should rinse their mouths or brush their teeth after eating these foods, so as to avoid the rapid increase of oral acidity and the formation of dental caries.
Avoid eating foods with high sugar content before going to bed. It is best for babies not to sleep with nipples. After the baby falls asleep, the secretion of saliva and swallowing in the mouth are greatly reduced, and the milk left in the mouth provides sufficient nourishment for bacterial reproduction. promote the formation of dental caries.
- Ensure adequate nutrition
Children's teeth are still developing, and more intake of foods rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A and D can promote the development and strength of teeth.
Especially when children are 10 months old, 2 and a half years old and 5 years old, they are in the critical period of tooth development, so they can eat more milk, meat, etc.
Fish, soy products, dried shrimps, carrots, hawthorn, spinach, etc.
At the same time, foods containing more fluoride such as lettuce, kelp, and shrimp can be properly ingested. Fluoride has been shown to have a clear anti-caries effect.
Fourth, master the correct brushing posture
Before brushing, soak the toothbrush in warm water for 1-2 minutes to make the bristles soft.
When brushing your teeth, the frequency should not be too fast. Open your mouth first, brush back and forth, and do not let go of the innermost die.
When the teeth are occluded, first brush back and forth horizontally several times to remove the dirt on the surface of the teeth, and then brush up and down vertically to remove the residues between the teeth. Use light force when brushing horizontally and a little harder when brushing vertically.
Open your mouth again and brush a little bit from red gums to white teeth.
Note that the baby's toothbrush should be separated from the adult's toothbrush. The toothbrush is generally changed once a month, and the longest is no more than 3 months. Toothpaste should be used alternately to avoid developing resistance. If you still don't know how to brush your baby's teeth, you can search the Internet to learn how to brush your baby's teeth.
- Check your teeth regularly
Parents, don’t forget to take your baby to the dentist regularly, usually every 6 months. If your child already has cavities, they will need to visit the dentist every 3 months.
Dentists can assess the risk of dental caries according to the development of children's teeth, and can also detect oral diseases such as dental caries early.