Dr Neil Zastre Inc.
# 307, 6051 Gilbert Road,
Richmond, BC
V7C 3V3
office 604-273-3415
fax
604-273-4121
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Tips to Consider First Dental Visit Juice Soothers Sippy Cups
Toddlers and Children
Your infant’s teeth should be cleaned as soon as they start to appear. Your child’s teeth will start to appear at roughly 6 months of age. By about 24 months of age your child will usually have all 20 of his/her primary teeth.
Brushing is essential and flossing is very important, especially if your child’s teeth are tightly spaced. Always brush with toothpaste before they go to bed with only water to drink afterwards. If a toothbrush doesn’t seem appropriate, just smear a minimal amount of toothpaste (pea sized or smaller) on a clean cloth and wipe her/his teeth.
As your child grows, her/his teeth should be brushed after each meal and sugary snack, especially before nap and bed time. When a child sleeps the saliva production in their mouth slows down and bacteria have an opportunity to thrive.
Good oral hygiene practices should start early, as soon as your child’s teeth start to erupt. Setting a good example now will establish positive habits they will hopefully continue throughout their adult life!
We recommend using toothpaste with fluoride when you brush your child’s teeth. Although swallowing fluoride is not advised! If your child can’t spit effectively yet, then use a Kleenex or clean cloth to absorb the toothpaste foam that is created from proper brushing.
A parent should brush a child’s teeth until about the age of eight. Proper supervision may be required beyond that age depending on each particular child.
2 minutes of brushing is the Golden Rule but feel free to spend more time!
Flossing may be required although many children’s primary teeth are well spaced and brushing is able to reach all of the tooth’s surfaces. If flossing is required, it should be done before brushing and at least once a day (preferably at night).
It is best to bring your child to the dentist for the first time at about 1-2 years of age. Although your child will not have a full set of primary teeth until about two years of age, we encourage parents to bring their children in when they are younger for several reasons. This will allow:
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The dentist to ensure that the home care of your child’s teeth is working well. |
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Your child to have an opportunity to just visit the dentist and not be subjected to any procedures (on that initial visit). |
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The dentist to detect any potential problems or concerns with your child’s oral health and/or diet. |
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The dental team to alleviate any concerns you may have about your child’s dental health. |
It is our goal to teach our young patients, and their parents, about proper oral hygiene.
But! We know that there is a big but that parents share when it comes to brushing their child’s teeth – the fit. Many small children resist having their teeth brushed. We can assure you that proper brushing and any necessary flossing will not hurt them.
They do need you to take control and help keep their teeth clean and their mouth healthy.
We have found that battery or electric toothbrushes have helped some parents sell the whole tooth brushing experience more easily. These types of toothbrushes have also been proven to do a better job than a manual toothbrush.
Minimizing the amount of toothpaste that your child uses and potentially swallows is also very important. For smaller children who may not be able to spit out the excess toothpaste foam we recommend using a Kleenex or clean cloth to absorb it.
Juice, soothers and other oral issues...
It may surprise many parents, and upset many children, to learn that in September 2001 the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended:
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No juice for children under 6 months of age; |
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A maximum of 4 ounces per day for children 6-12 months of age; and |
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A maximum of 4-6 ounces per day for children 1 – 6 years of age. |
Canada’s food guide recommends approximately 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day for a young child. 1/2 cup, or 4 ounces, of juice counts as 1 serving.
We don’t think that soothers have a profoundly negative impact on a child’s oral health as long as their use is reasonable and not prolonged.
Studies have not shown that the use of a pacifier in an infant or young child has a directly negative impact on their oral development. However, their use should cease by about 18 months of age, arguably much earlier than that.
Regular use of a soother, after your child’s primary teeth are all in, may cause faulty development of the mouth and jaws. Some studies indicate that it may also negatively influence a child’s speech development.
In addition, if you have poor oral health you should avoid introducing your bacteria into your child’s mouth. Rinse their soother off, at least during the infant stage.
Sippy cups can serve a useful purpose in teaching young children how to drink from a cup and of course, prevent stains on the carpet. However, you may want to use them for that short term transition from bottle to regular cup.
Sippy cups can increase your child’s chance of tooth decay in the same way that prolonged use of a bottle can cause decay.
The Journal for Dentistry for Children notes that there is a problematic connection between tooth decay and the regular use of sippy cups. The spouts on sippy cups tend to soak the six upper front teeth in the beverage. If this beverage is sugary, like juice, this can increase the susceptibility of these teeth to cavities.
Try to limit the use of sippy cups to snack and meal times.