Oral cavity hygiene at children

One of the most important factors of prophylactics of children’s dental disease is oral hygiene. Therefore, the parents and the children's dentist set the task to teach children to respect the rules of hygiene. Remember: daily dental care since the early childhood is the key to your child’s healthy smile. It is necessary to start even with milk teeth, as diseases of the baby teeth can lead to serious problems with the molars when they grow. Taking this into account, it is extremely important to teach your child to brush his or her teeth every day. It is even more important to teach him or her to do it CORRECTLY.

Your kid’s teeth should be brushed with special children's toothpastes developed for the milk teeth. They have a very pleasant taste and they contain a protective mineral composition. It is important to start brushing teeth from the moment they came through. First a silicone brush is used for this purpose. It is put on the parent’s finger. When the child is 10 months, you can use a special children's toothbrush. By the way, you should take into account that milk teeth just like the permanent teeth should be cleaned at least twice a day. Here are some practical recommendations how to choose toothpaste for your child:

• the toothpaste must contain fluorine compounds
• it is worth giving the preference to children's toothpastes, since their composition contains the medicines necessary for children
• the toothpastes containing compounds of calcium in addition to the fluorine are recommended to the children under 12
• in case the child has frequent gum diseases, you should select a toothpaste containing anti-inflammatory substances.

As for the toothbrushes, it is better to use special children’s toothbrushes for milk teeth, which have a gentle bristles and the right size. Besides, the funny toy on the brush can amuse the child. The professional recommendations how to choose a toothbrush are the following:

• Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush. It makes sense to buy a brush with synthetic bristles, for example, nylon, Citron and other materials, as the brushes with natural bristles wear out quickly. Besides that, each natural bristle has a channel that is a shelter for the microorganisms
• the brush head length should be equal to the width of 2 or 3 child’s teeth
• before the teeth brushing and after it, the brush should be thoroughly washed
• the toothbrush should be changed when it wears out. The torn-bristled toothbrush cleans teeth insufficiently and may injure your child’s gums. It is recommended to change the brush every 3-4 months, and right after the infectious diseases

The brushing technique is extremely important. Remember: if the teeth are brushed improperly, the caries is the obligatory consequence. The main purpose for the tooth brushing is the removal of food particles, plaque and harmful bacteria even in the most inaccessible tooth surfaces. If the attitude to the tooth brushing is not serious, these objectives will not be attained. Please read our recommendations on the brushing techniques:

• first perform 10-15 downward sweeping vertical movements on the outer teeth surface of the upper jaw and then on the lower jaw upward
• clean the interior surfaces (the tongue and palate) making 10-20 movements; for this place the brush head perpendicular to the teeth
• clean the chewing teeth surfaces; for this, place the brush horizontally. Make back-and-forth movements first on the upper jaw then on the lower jaw.
• after cleaning, rinse the child’s mouth carefully. By the way, make the teeth cleaning after the meal, not before it
• in the initial period, carry out the procedure yourself. Allow your child to brush his teeth himself only when you are sure that he does it as it should be. After this, if you can, try to brush the teeth with your child to control the process of cleaning teeth, and help him if necessary.

It would be wonderful if such training is conducted by the children's dentist. The specialist possessing the corresponding skills will be able to convince the child easily to brush his or her teeth. The dentist shows the little patients how to brush their teeth correctly with the help of the special plaster cast. That is how, the teeth brushing becomes the child's play instead of tedious procedure. But the most curious thing is that a lot of children later teach their parents, grandparents and friends how to brush their teeth correctly.