We know that our oral health greatly impacts our overall health — including our heart health, respiratory health, and prenatal health.
Because of this, the caring team at Modern Age Dentistry believes that it’s never too early to teach your children about the importance of taking great care of their teeth and gums. Good oral care should be modeled and taught when your child is a toddler, and we encourage a dental visit as well, so they can become comfortable with our office and meeting Dr. Ali Saeghi.
He’s invested in helping your child become acclimated to coming to the dentist, in learning about caring for their oral health, and answering their — and your — questions.
Your child can get the best early start on learning how to brush with your help. We’re here to help, too. We’ve compiled some helpful hints that will set you up for success with brushing your little one’s teeth — and get you buy-in from your toddler so they’ll be clamoring to “do it myself!”
As a rule of thumb, you should bring your child to their first dental appointment at Modern Age Dentistry when they’re about a year old or when that first tooth makes its debut (most children’s 20 baby teeth are all in by age three).
Dr. Saeghi and the team relate well with kids, invite their questions, and help them associate a dental visit with fun and other good things.
Here’s some news you can use that ensures you’re doing a good job and setting your child up for success.
You should invest in a toothbrush that’s specifically designed for a toddler.
This means it will have gentle, soft bristles, a wide, grippable handle, and a smaller head that won’t be too big to fit comfortably in their mouth.
Make sure the toothpaste you use contains fluoride, which is powerful for combating cavities.
Give your child some agency by letting them choose their favorite flavored kids’ toothpaste, but be sure you’re the one who always squeezes it onto their brush, and store it out of their reach, since some children are tempted to ingest toothpaste because it tastes good.
Monitor them as you brush and explain that they shouldn’t swallow anything while brushing. They should simply swish their mouth with water after brushing and spit it all out into the sink.
When they get older, you should have them spit out only the toothpaste and refrain from rinsing their mouth with water right after brushing, so the protective fluoride isn’t rinsed off their teeth.
The best way to ensure that you reach everywhere you should while brushing your toddler’s teeth is to brush in a circular motion over every part of each tooth — front, back, sides, and bottom.
For optimal results, position the brush so the bristles are at a 45-degree angle to the teeth.
Some families find it best to have their toddler recline while their teeth are being brushed, for ease.
You can get your child involved by downloading a children’s brushing app on your phone that illustrates how to brush well, or you can brush to their favorite song. Another thing kids love to do is to reverse roles so they’re the “parent” — give them a chance to brush your teeth after you’re done with theirs.
By following these brushing strategies, you and your toddler can look forward to brushing time, and they can learn the correct method while learning about the importance of taking care of their oral health. You can model taking good care of your teeth for them, too.
We’re here to help with treating your child — and the whole family — and educating them about good oral health.
We have offices in West Hills, Atwater Village, and Ojai, California. Call the one most convenient to you and schedule an appointment for your child, or you can book one online.
