Did you know that positive dental attitudes and habits established at an early age are critical in helping your child maintain good oral health throughout life? The steps that you take as a parent to teach your children proper oral health care techniques will have a huge impact on their life-long health.  Here is what you need to know:

When to Start

The best time to start teaching your child good habits is soon after birth.  But at each stage of their development, there are things you can do to instill good habits in them.  Let's see what can be done at each stage of growth.

Infant (birth to2 years)

Your baby's teeth begin growing in the second trimester of pregnancy. By birth, babies have about 20 teeth, but they don't appear until the baby teethes, which usually begins sometime after they are 3 months old.

During this time, there are a few steps to follow:

• Never let your baby drink a bottle of juice or milk before sleep. They may contribute to tooth decay, especially if just sitting in the mouth, and over time, can give your baby a case of "bottle mouth" - tooth decay caused by using the bottle too much.  Instead, you can give the baby a bottle with water.
• Introduce the daily habit of cleaning teeth early.  Before teething, the best thing to do is to run a damp washcloth over your baby's teeth after eating. If your baby is teething, give him/her something clean to chew on - something big enough so that it won't be a choking hazard.
• Once a tooth comes in, you may buy a soft infant toothbrush - but only use water, not toothpaste, to brush.
• Before your baby turns 2, you should bring him/her to a pediatric dentist for an exam.

Toddler/Preschoolers(2 years to 5 years old)

Once your child has his/her baby teeth, you want to make sure he/she is keeping those teeth healthy and clean. If cavities develop, children can lose their baby teeth before their grown-up teeth come in and this can cause problems with tooth spacing.

Here are the key steps to take during this time period:

• Introduce your child to nutritious foods. If your children aren't allergic, vegetables, yogurt, peanut butter, milk, and cheese contain nutrients that strengthen teeth.
• Teach your children to avoid sugary and sticky foods.  Sugary snacks between meals should be avoided as well.
• Teach your children to brush their teeth twice a day. They can use a soft-bristled brush with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. The reason to use such a small amount is that children often actually swallow the toothpaste - and this amount won't hurt them.
• Sometimes, children don't want to brush their teeth. Here are a few tips on how to help them learn.

o   Get a special step stool so he/she can see in the bathroom mirror.

o   For rinse cups, choose a disposable brand with a fun logo or cartoon on the side.

o Let him/her choose a soft-bristled toothbrush with his/her favorite character from tv or a movie.

o   Brush your teeth at the same time he/she does. Let him/her go first, but then start up yourself so he/she can learn by watching your example.

o Sing a special tooth-brushing song together.

o Teach him/her how to spit by saying"patooey" and aiming for the sink.

o After you're done, admire your smiles.

o Consider sometimes eating foods, like broccoli,that stick in your teeth, so that your child can get a "before" and"after" viewpoint.

o   Read books about tooth-brushing and teeth together.

• Make sure you change your child's soft-bristled toothbrush every 3 months. Make it fun and let your child help choose his/her own toothbrush.
• You should take your toddler or preschooler to the dentist once every six months. Your dentist will watch out for cavities.  He/she will also make suggestions to help you prevent tooth decay.
• If your toddler sucks his thumb, it's okay. Just tell your dentist if he continues to do it after age 4.

Grade school (5years to 12 years old)

At this age, it is important to teach your child to take responsibility for their daily habits of oral health care.  As a parent, you should explain to them their responsibilities, help them by monitoring their efforts, and reward them for successes.  Make sure to cover each of the following areas:

Good brushing habits.

1.    The right tools--There are many items on the market today that help to make dental care easy and enjoyable for children ofall ages. Motorized tooth brushes can be helpful for removing plaque. Children tend to brush in short burst and they don't have the attention to detail that adults do. The motorized tooth brushes that pulsate or rotate can come in handy in this situation.

2.    The right length of time--When we are teaching our children to brush their teeth it is important that we encourage them to brush for the proper amount of time.  Dentists recommend that children brush their teeth for two minutes, three times daily.Teaching children to sing a song in their head while brushing their teeth can help. If they only know how to sing a short song, that is okay. Have the child repeat the song the proper number of times to achieve two minutes. Be patient and encouraging. Two minutes can seem like a long time to small children. This is especially true if they have something else they would rather be doing.

3.    The right technique—Your children should know how to brush all areas of their mouth. Teach them to brush the front and back of their teeth, as well as the chewing surfaces. It may help to break the mouth down into quadrants. Brush the top left for 30 seconds, then the top right for30 seconds. Repeat the same procedure with the bottom teeth. There are some toothbrushes on the market that actually beep every 30 seconds to remind children to change quadrants.

4.    Mouthwash-- There are a number of mouthwashes marketed for children as well. These can be helpful in fighting bad breath.They can also be helpful if there is no fluoride in your drinking water. Most of them come in child friendly flavors such as strawberry and bubblegum. Just remember that mouthwash is not a supplement for good brushing.

5.    Checking up--If you feel that your children are still missing areas when they are brushing their teeth consider investing in some disclosing tablets. These tablets can be purchased at your local drugstore. You may also find them at your local discount supermarket. The cherry flavoring is pleasant for most children. When the child chews the tablet it leaves behind a pink stain on any plaque. This will help the child to identify the areas that he or she is missing. The teeth can then be brushed again and the stain will go away.

Good Flossing Habits

It is important that children learn to floss their teeth as well. Floss picks can be helpful for children with small fingers. They are much easier for the child to maneuver than a long piece of string. Floss picks come in a variety of shapes and colors and can be purchased at your local drug store as well. Have the child floss between each tooth, going as far down into the gum line as they can. You may find that this is further than expected. Getting deep into the gum line is crucial for preventing cavities and gum disease.

Good eating habits.

Continue to encourage your children to eat healthy foods – which is good for overall health as well as oral and dental wellness.  Avoid foods such as soda, crackers, bread,pretzels, and candy (and other sugary food). Have healthy snacks (cut vegetables) readily available.

Supplements

Drinking water with fluoride, a chemical in most areas' drinking water, helps strengthen teeth.  If your water does not have fluoride, your dentist can provide supplements.  Also, taking calcium supplements can also strengthen teeth.  Check with your dentist for guidance as to your child’s needs.

Monitor your family.

Monitor your family to see if they are exhibiting healthy habits.  Check your child's mouth for the signs of periodontal disease, including bleeding gums, swollen and bright red gums, gums that are receding away from the teeth and bad breath.  Also, watch to see if anyone has the habit of teeth grinding. Grinding can increase the risk of developing periodontal disease, in addition to causing cracked or chipped teeth. Dentists can make custom-fitted night bite guards to prevent teeth grinding at night.

Get regular check-ups.

Timely dental visits are crucial to keeping children's teeth healthy.  Make sure to schedule regular dental visits for family checkups, periodontal evaluations and cleanings.  Have your child visit the dentist for a check-up every six months.

Be a role model

Perhaps the most important and influential thing you can do in helping your children develop good oral health habits is to serve as a good role model from early on.  By brushing your teeth alongside your child, you show them how important it is.  This habit also has the benefit of helping keep you healthier, as well as spending quality time with your child.

Summary

If your child currently has poor oral health habits, work with your child to change these now. It's much easier to modify these habits in a child than in an adult. Since your child models behavior after you, it follows that you should serve as a positive role model in your oral hygiene habits. A healthy smile, good breath and strong teeth all contribute to a young person's sense of personal appearance, as well as confidence and self-esteem, and in thelong-term, can have a profound effect on their overall health.

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