Westchester NY Dentist Disucss the topic: Caring for your Kid’s Teeth
You may already know that one of the best ways of preventing cavities is through a healthy diet, regular brushing, and visiting a dentist. However, dental experts suggest that many parents fail when handling the dental health of their kids. This can be noted from the fact that around 42% of kids aged between 2 and 4 suffer from cavities in their baby teeth. Here are some of the greatest mistakes that parents make that are the cause of these cavities.
Allowing their kids to brush alone
Most kids do not have motors skills that should enable them to brush in an effective way until they reach 8 years. This is why it is important to supervise them while brushing and ensure that they clean every surface of their tooth.
Allowing their baby to sleep with a bottle
This is one of the easiest ways of causing tooth decay. This could be through giving babies a sippy cup the whole day or a bottle when putting them to sleep. The downside of this habit is that it keeps the bacteria and sugar levels in the mouth high throughout the day.
Delaying the first dentist appointment
Dentists say that they regularly treat kids aged between 2 and 3 years for infection and cavities. The explanation for this is that parents do not take their children to a dentist early enough. It is advisable to take the kids to a dentist immediately after the eruption of the first tooth. This should be followed by regular visits after every 6 months.
Offering healthy but sticky foods
Whole-grain crackers, raisins, and bananas are healthy foods, but they also contain lots of sugars and tend to stick on the teeth creating cavities. Ensure that your child brush their teeth after consuming these foods.
Ignoring cavities
Many parents consider treating a cavity to be one easy fix. However, cavities can affect your kid for their entire lifetime. When a cavity is infected, this can negatively affect the development of adult teeth.