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The quality of a child’s teeth is determined not only by genes, but also by diet and learned habits. Otherwise, diseased teeth will affect the functioning of the entire body and can cause many, very serious problems. How to convince a child that you need to take care of your teeth?
Edyta Kolasińska-Bazan, Medonet: How to encourage a child to take care of their teeth?
Izabela Ćwiklińska, dentist: Good question. How to encourage a child to do anything? For doing homework, reading books, for physical activity … We try to get interested by weaving attractive elements, because in the end we are going to make a habit. This is, of course, a duty, but the same as taking a bath, washing your hair or eating dinner. If we don’t clean up or take out the rubbish, nothing special will happen, but is it for sure? The house will be messy, dirty and even stinky. If we do not take care of ourselves, there will be diseases that may prevent even playing – a broken tooth (with caries) may hurt (when a tooth hurts, there is often a feeling of earache) and we may feel bad – this is how we explain. You can then remind your child when someone close to you was sick, maybe he was sick himself? It works on the imagination.
When to start brushing my teeth?
I recommend oral care from the first weeks of life, especially when the newborn / infant is fed formula. The gums should be rinsed after feeding with a sterile gauze pad soaked in (and squeezed) boiled, warm water. The first tooth should be treated in the same way and the next one – brushing until the age of 3. After that, it is worthwhile for the child to try on his own, but the parent should complete the cleaning. By the way, I will mention bottle caries, which is a consequence of long feeding with modified milk, juices, teas sweetened with sugar. Mainly harming night feeding and lack of proper hygiene! Eleven-twelve-month-old babies must be taught to sleep at night and eat during the day. Although it is very difficult, it is worth the effort. At night, you can only give the child water – still mineral or boiled mineral water, after which you do not have to brush your gums and teeth.
So let’s move on to action – brushing.
The child sees the parents brushing their teeth every day (if not, it’s a good idea to start as soon as possible!). It is worth making the first attempts while bathing – in a bathtub or in a bathtub. We teach the child to hold a toothbrush – ordinary, manual, small, soft for a baby. Mum or dad massages the child’s gums (without toothpaste!), She also shows, explaining that she washes her teeth by herself (with her toothbrush, of course). This is how we make a habit. Daily. We initiate brushing together while we clean our teeth ourselves – invite the toddler to the bathroom. Let’s gradually lengthen. Months pass, the child is older – we teach him to take water in his mouth from a cup, rinse and spit it out. It will take us a long time. One day, while shopping together, we buy a toothpaste (fluoride-free) and a new brush, which we plan to use right after the meal.
This is exciting!
Exactly! We talk to the child about the need to brush his teeth.
How to explain to a young child what is tooth decay?
I have a special story that I improve over the course of my work. I say that the bacteria we have in our mouths have special machines for making holes in the teeth (classic worms did not work positively), i.e. small excavators. These excavators need fuel, just like cars, planes. This fuel is dirt on the teeth, i.e. sweets, cookies, juices, etc. If we brush our teeth well, the bacteria will be sad because they will not be able to dig in the teeth anymore. I would like to add that when asked – “can they dig with a shovel?”, I answer that the teeth are so hard that they cannot cope. This story works – children from the age of 3 understand it.
Which brush to choose? There is a huge selection of oral hygiene tools – manual toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes, flavored toothpaste …
It is true that children’s brushes are colorful, often with characters from favorite fairy tales – princesses for girls, cars for boys or Spider Man. Also the heads for electric toothbrushes for children have pictures. Sonic brushes have removable stickers on the handle. There are brushes with a melody that lasts as long as brushing should last.
Is it working?
Unfortunately, not always. Remember that “decorations” are to encourage the child to act, and not stand idly on the shelf in the bathroom! At the beginning, I recommend an ordinary – manual toothbrush. Remember, however, that up to a certain point brushing a child’s teeth is our duty and we cannot count on a 3-4-year-old handing us over. First, his manual skills are not yet developed enough to handle it properly. Of course, you should allow your child to brush their teeth themselves, but let it be learning through play. Let’s brush our teeth together with the child to show him how we do it. The toddler will imitate our movements, he will see that this activity is part of our life.
What if we are not sure if we brush properly ourselves?
No shame to ask in the office – let’s learn with your child from your dentist or hygienist, who is there for it. We can also enter the following phrase in the search engine: “how to properly brush your teeth” and a lot of instructional videos will pop up.
I am asking for a few comments on how to properly brush my teeth?
At the beginning, we ask the child to imitate our movements – preferably circles on the sides of the cheeks, and simple movements on the surface we bite. Over time, the child will develop coordination and cleanse his teeth effectively. However, if we see that it cannot cope, it is worth thinking about an electric brush. In this case, it is enough to put the head to the tooth and hold it for a moment – and then brush each tooth one by one. In order for the child to understand what it means to have well-washed teeth, I clean the child’s teeth myself in the office. I ask him to “feel” with his tongue: before washing and after cleaning – how smooth they are. It is good to remember this impression, because this is what the patient is supposed to achieve after each tooth brushing.
to pasta?
As for the paste, it must be properly age appropriate. We only introduce fluoride products if the child is able to rinse the mouth well – do not swallow the toothpaste! Children’s products have a lower mint content and it is easier for a child to switch from a children’s toothpaste to that for older people. Over time, they will get used to it and will find “their” taste. Let’s not be afraid to look – brushing your teeth should be a pleasure.
Exactly! I remember a situation when my 10-year-old daughter came back from the colony, during which she had a manual toothbrush, and when she entered the bathroom, picking up an electric toothbrush, she said – “Finally, I will clean my teeth properly.”
Congratulations. So the habit is here! Nice to hear it. In the case of slightly older children, we have to make sure that the child does his homework. There is no magic or spell – you have to make a habit every day.
And won’t we miss the reward of healthy teeth?
Exactly!
And how to teach a child to brush their teeth if they don’t like it?
I will answer honestly and truthfully – what is there to like? You just do it – regularly, thoroughly, at least twice a day. Everyone should ask themselves if they would let their child not eat for several days? Can you not wash yourself? Conscious parents can: watch, check, motivate, and we dentists – vividly present the consequences of poor hygiene. In adulthood it is easier – the economic aspect is often the driving force behind behavior change. I often tell my patients how much they could save by following the advice on caring for their teeth. I am asking them to imagine something they could spend this money on and think if it was worth being lazy ?!
However, sometimes there is a period in a teenager’s life that he suddenly stops brushing his teeth?
Yes, it often happens during this period. You don’t have to wait long for the effect. Conscious parents can deal with it too.
How?
The cost of treating the teeth by own neglect is covered by the child’s money. Most often, this motivates us to return to brushing our teeth.
You often emphasize the awareness of parents, so it is worth organizing the basic knowledge, which are, for example, good and bad habits.
And good and bad habits are learned out of the house, out of ignorance. The child grows up in a specific family, where he cares for his teeth or does not care – he brushes his teeth or not, eats sweets or not, or at least limits them. The fact that our parents have active caries does not mean that we are also in for it. The most important are: diet, hygiene and prevention! If caries catches us or our child, we can effectively fight it with the knowledge of: what to eat, how to care for teeth and how to avoid tooth decay? In my opinion, all three elements are lame in Poland. It is definitely caused by the lack of reliable knowledge and repeating bad habits.
What is the most conducive to the formation of caries?
Lack of the habit of brushing your teeth – after each meal or at least twice a day! In my experience, patients come to the dentist with unwashed teeth, and not only with food remnants “from a while ago”, but with rotting for several days. They often come when it is “too late”, when pain appears, and yet it is possible more often and earlier – this is prevention. It is also necessary to emphasize the significant role of sugar!
Dlaczego?
Sugar is ubiquitous, not only in drinks and juices, but also in the form of various sweets, in the daily diet – in children’s breakfast dishes. It is sugar that causes tooth decay. I believe that if sweets are to be in the diet at all, let’s implement the principle of “one sweet day a week” – this is a Scandinavian method that really works. Swedish children can eat sweets only once a week, they must be bought (in a small amount) with pocket money and eaten on the same day. Most children tend to abandon sweets in favor of toys over time. Caries in children practically does not occur there. When dentists see a child with tooth decay, they assume that it is a mixed family or immigrant child.
First visit to the dentist – when?
The first visit to the dentist’s office is a great experience – it’s getting to know the world, so we go to see the place: office, equipment, chair and our dentist. We go on a trip, e.g. during our control visit. Everything should be explained to the child, shown, explained, sit on the armchair… It is all extremely important
And exciting! And the next visits?
Subsequent visits are control. The child should be prepared for an appointment during which a procedure is to be performed. We never frighten a child with a dentist! We are also not talking about our anxiety. Any rewarding, especially with sweets, is unacceptable. Important are: no rewards and consistency in action! These are to be natural habits of taking care of yourself, your health, and therefore your teeth. We go to the dentist, like to the store for shopping, to the library – borrow a book, but certainly not to be afraid!
How to talk to your toddler about dental treatment? Avoid the word “pain”?
This is my favorite topic – you have to explain that the clove is the same part of the body as the leg or hand. The tooth feels the same when it is touched, that a hole is drilled in it when necessary. If there is no need, we do not force it. We never say it won’t hurt!
What about fluoridation?
Opinions are divided. The subject should be treated individually, but there is no point in deceiving that fluoridation will “kill” caries if we eat sugar and do not brush our teeth after each meal. Until the patient understands how caries and calculus are formed, it is very difficult to work with such a person.
And malocclusion?
My practice says that most children require at least an orthodontic consultation. There is an imbalance in the size of the teeth in relation to the size of the bone base, i.e. the jaws, open bite – often caused by para-functions – nipples, bottles, finger sucking, overgrown third almond and others.