The habits formed when a person is a child will generally be carried on through adulthood. This means that instilling good dental care habits in a child is a very important part of raising a child. Teaching a child the value of brushing his or her teeth will contribute to good dental and overall health when that child is an adult.

When a child is a baby, there are still things that can be done to contribute to good oral health. For starters, as soon as a baby has teeth, it is a good idea to wipe them down with a soft cloth or baby tooth brush. This will prevent decay of baby teeth before the child can even feed his or herself. In addition, it is an excellent idea never to give a baby a bottle while in the crib. While a bottle of water may not do damage, allowing the baby to have milk or juice just before bed will allow the sugars in the liquid to decay teeth all night. 

Once the child is old enough, he or she should use a fluoride toothpaste to brush his or her teeth. Fluoride has long been shown to prevent dental decay and cavities. When a child has fluoride toothpaste, he or she needs to be supervised to prevent too much toothpaste from being swallowed.

Healthy snacks and a low-sugar diet are also important for a child. Providing snacks that are too high in sugar, in addition to their overall negative effect on a child’s health, will contribute more to tooth decay. In addition, healthy snacks will instill good eating habits in a child from a young age.

Just like all people, children need a diet that is high in calcium for bone and dental health. Low-fat milk is one of the best ways to get this calcium while avoiding a high fat content. In addition to needing lots of calcium for their current teeth, children need calcium to help the formation of their adult teeth.

Children also need regular dental check ups. To schedule your child’s check up, contact the Chicago family dentist Dr. Sumeet Bagai at 773-767-1554.