Children's Dental Health

Did you know that good eating habits not only keep us healthy but can also help keep our teeth and gums healthy too?

Each time we eat sugary foods or drinks, our teeth are exposed to harmful acid that can attack our teeth even after we have swallowed the food. This harmful acid is produced when the sticky coating left on our teeth after sugary foods or drinks are eaten, reacts with the bacteria in plaque. Try to avoid snacks that are especially sticky such as raisins, sweets, caramels and have fruit juice only at meal times.

We can look after our teeth and gums by limiting the amount of times we have snacks throughout the day and replacing our sugary snacks and drinks with healthier alternatives or savoury snacks. Some foods and drinks that are good alternatives include, fruit, nuts, plain yogurt, cheese, raw vegetables, breadsticks, milk and still water.

Visiting the dentist for regular check-ups is really important and can help detect decay at an early stage can prevent excessive tooth damage and when cavities are small, they are much easier and less expensive to treat.

Here's a few handy tips to can try at home:

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep you hydrated and limit fruit juice to one glass a day with a meal.

Limit the number of snacks you have and avoid too many sugary foods or drinks. Instead choose dentally healthy foods such as raw vegetables, nuts, cheese.

Eat a well-balanced diet including foods from each of the 5 major food groups.

And brushing your teeth for 2 minutes, twice a day.

Daily brushing and cleaning between your teeth is really important as it removes plaque that is constantly forming on our teeth. If left, plaque continues to build up causing tooth decay and gum disease.

Brushing your teeth last thing at night and at least one other time during the day, with a fluoride toothpaste will help keep teeth and gums healthy.

Good brushing will take you about 2 minutes, so grab a timer or put on your favourite song!

• Brush your teeth twice a day, for 2 minutes
• Brush in big circles, starting one side first and working your way round to the other side, top and bottom.
• Clean behind your teeth as well as the front.
• Be sure to brush your tongue too.

Floss daily and use a fluoride (alcohol free) mouthwash at night after brushing.

Check the condition of the bristles on your toothbrush and change it every 3 months or when visibly worn.

If you want to see how good your brushing technique really is, use disclosing tablets so you can see any plaque you may have missed.

Our Dentists aim to prevent dental disease rather than treat it at a later date.

We are happy to see children just a soon as they have developed their baby teeth. Getting children gradually used to our environment will relax them if future treatment is required.

A sealant is a protective plastic coating applied by the dentist to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant forms a hard protective shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves (fissures) in back teeth causing decay. Fissure sealants are a painless way of protecting teeth from decay.

Some people have 'deep' fissures meaning food/ bacteria gets stuck with greater ease causing a higher risk of decay. By 'sealing' these fissures we add a layer of protection for preventing decay.

For further information about children's dental health please visit
https://www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-about/topic/caring-for-teeth/children-s-teeth