Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | Important Oral Health Tips for Kids

1. Teach your kids how to floss: Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz
   flossing is a very important part of oral health. This is because there is no other effective way of removing food particles that have stuck in-between teeth. Brushing alone isn’t effective. You must therefore make a point of teaching your kids how to floss if you want them to maintain good oral hygiene. It is important to note that flossing can be dangerous for kids. You must therefore take time to teach them how to floss without hurting their gums. Flossing can’t be ignored even when dealing with kid’s oral health. The best thing to do is to teach your kids how to floss properly once they become responsible for cleaning their own teeth i.e. 9 yrs.
2. Restrict thumb-sucking by age 2: this is also a very important oral health tip for kids. Most kids develop the habit of sucking their thumbs at a very young age. You must curb this habit by age 2 to avoid developmental abnormalities. Thumb-sucking causes many common developmental abnormalities in kids, i.e. poor teeth arrangement, protruding teeth etc. To avoid such abnormalities you must curb thumb-sucking as soon as possible.
3. Avoid giving your kids sugary snacks i.e. biscuits, chocolate, etc. between meals: according to research, most kids get cavities mainly because of eating sugary snacks frequently. The number of times you give your kids snacks throughout the day counts more than the amount of snacks (sugary foods) you give your kids in regards to oral health. The number of times your kids expose their teeth to sugars daily counts more in terms of causing cavities among other oral health problems.
4. Limit intake of sticky foods i.e. raisins, chocolate, etc.: according to research, sticky foods are the worst foods for teeth because they tend to wedge in-between teeth. You must therefore limit sticky food intake for your kids because kids may not know how to clean their teeth properly after they eat such foods. This reduces the chance of your kids getting cavities from eating too much sticky foods.
5. Take good care of your oral health: this is also an effective oral health tip for kids. According to research, bacteria responsible for causing tooth decay among other health problems in kids can be easily passed from caregivers to young children/infants. As a parent or caregiver, you must therefore take care of your own oral hygiene/health to ensure that you reduce the chances of passing on bacteria to your kids.
6. Limit sharing of bottles and spoons between children and caregivers: as mentioned above, it is possible for caregivers i.e. parents among other adults to pass over mouth bacteria that causes tooth decay among other dental/oral diseases. Limiting sharing of spoons and bottles among other household utensils is important to ensure that your kids enjoy good oral hygiene/health.
7. Encourage your kids to chew sugar free chewing gum: this is also an effective oral health tip for kids. One of the main causes of tooth decay as mentioned above is sticky foods in-between teeth. Normal chewing gum is usually coated with a lot of sugars which stick in-between teeth. You must therefore encourage your kids to chew sugar free gum to help them avoid dental health problems.