This topic may not worry us until you have to go to the dentist when it is too late. But precisely to prevent this "urgent" moment when something is wrong in the mouths of children, you have to know these nine habits that can harm children's oral health.
Since they are babies, we have to take care of the health of the mouth, at this time it is quite simple because they only drink milk. But could sucking my finger hurt my baby in the future? What happens if you sleep with the bottle? When do I have to start cleaning your mouth? These are just some of the questions we ask parents.
Then, when children grow up, the number of foods increases and we have to keep some of them at bay to prevent oral problems, as well as banish certain bad habits. We'll talk about all of this below, listing these habits that can harm the oral health of the little ones in the house.
Nine habits that harm children's oral health
Impregnate the baby's pacifier in sugar or sugary liquids, is one of the habits to be eradicated to prevent bottle caries. Recall that bottle caries can affect the baby's first tooth and up to five years (that is, it affects baby teeth).
Let the baby sleep with the bottle, since the milk sugar remains in the mouth for many hours, mixing with the germs and bacteria in the mouth, which can cause early wear of the child's teeth. In addition, if other sugary liquids are put in place of milk, the risk of caries in childhood is also increased.
Sucking your finger throughout childhood affects the development of the maxillary bones, the position of permanent teeth and causes bad occlusion. The habit of sucking your finger up to four years could deform the position of the teeth, and from that age onwards usually disfigures the development of the maxillary bones.
In Babies and more How does the bottle, breastfeeding and pacifier affect the oral health of childrenAbusing the pacifier during childhood It could also entail risks to oral health (dental position, malformation ...). This does not happen if the pacifier is removed at one year of age, as recommended by the Spanish Association of Pediatrics. The pacifier is harmful only on certain occasions (on the other hand, it brings benefits),
Do not clean the baby's gums and first teeth. We often think that it is not necessary to clean your mouth until you have all the baby teeth, but you have to do it much sooner. Simply rub the gum or teeth with a wet gauze, especially if you will spend many hours sleeping and after feeding.
Do not brush your teeth at least three times a day. When children already start to have more teeth, they must be brushed at least three times a day to eliminate food debris and prevent the appearance of tooth decay. Washing is especially important before going to bed. It will be done with a soft brush appropriate to its size. It is important that children do not brush their teeth alone, but with our help and supervision, at least up to seven years (so we check that the toothpaste is not swallowed and that the brushing technique is correct).
Do not use a toothpaste specific to your age. The use of fluoride in young children prevents the appearance of tooth decay, but it must be used within safety limits, since in excess it could cause fluorosis. Therefore, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics recommends up to six years to use a children's toothpaste, specific for children, since they contain fluoride in less quantity. Before two years, the amount of paste in the brush is minimal, while from that age we would place toothpaste as the size of a pea. A toothpaste for adults would be contraindicated.
Excessive consumption of sugary liquids, such as packaged juices or soft drinks. They favor the appearance of caries, which in the teeth of milk is very fast and destructive, being able to cause derived problems (fall of dental pieces, breakage, pain…). In addition, excess sugar favors obesity.
Eat sweets and sweets daily, which leads to more dental problems in childhood. Recall that these foods are in the upper part of the nutritional pyramid, so their consumption should be sporadic, since apart from oral problems it carries more risk of obesity, overweight, hypertension, cholesterol ...
In Babies and more Breastfeeding prepares the child for chewing and benefits its proper oral developmentFinally, remember that don't go to the dentist's reviews It will also favor that oral problems are not detected in time. It is never too early to establish a dental hygiene routine, because we invest in health, but we must do it in a fun and entertaining way at the beginning, accompanying our children and also by example.
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