Don'ts Regarding Children's Teeth

By Randi Morse

It's easy to understand why parents neglect their children's teeth. With everything else going on, all the schoolwork and play dates and concerns over nutrition and sleep, it's easy to think, "missing one night of tooth brushing is no big deal." That way of thinking can cause a great deal of health issues for your child. It's estimated that about 40 percent of children have some sort of tooth decay before they're in kindergarten. This makes them prone to a number of health conditions including heart disease. When it comes to caring for your child's teeth, there are a number of don'ts that you should remember.

Don't skip brushing - It's easy to be frustrated and busy in the morning while getting your child ready for school, and it's also understandable that you're so exhausted in the evening the idea of battling with your child to brush their teeth seems impossible. Brushing twice a day, at least, is vital to helping your child have healthy teeth and healthy gums

Don't forget fluoride - Fluoride is an important part of helping to prevent tooth decay. There are a number of "training" toothpaste options available to purchase, but they're not necessary. As soon as your child is old enough to brush well, around the age of 3, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on their toothbrush.

Don't let them carry drinks around - Kids love to carry around their sippy cup or their bottle, but the more their teeth are exposed to things like juice or milk, the more damage can be done to their teeth. If your child insists on carrying around a sippy cup, make sure there is only water in the cup. Only give them milk and juice in a limited quantity and when you are supervising their intake.

Don't give them sticky sweets - We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth, but a lot of sticky, sweet treats are so good, kids beg for them. Avoid giving them things like gummy bears and caramel. Anything that is sweet and can get stuck to their teeth should only be given in very limited quantities. 

Every once in a while you'll get a child who loves to brush their teeth, but most find that it takes far too much time away from having fun to do it regularly. Make sure you supervise your children when they're brushing and encourage their brushing with tons of praise.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Clearwater, Fla.