Regular dental visits

At the age of 1 at the latest, or within 6 months of the first tooth appearing, your child should see their dentist regularly and understand that visiting them is an important part of growing up. ADA recommends that children should visit the dentist for a regular check-up once every 6 months to maintain good oral health.

Good eating and drinking habits

To develop strong teeth, your children need a healthy, balanced diet made up of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese and lean meats. High sugar foods should be kept to a minimum and they should drink plenty of fluoridated tap water.

5 tips to stop decay in its tracks

• Avoid snacks that are sticks, gummy, chewy or sweet.
• Avoid grazing! Have set meal times and form a routine.
• Limit fruit to two servings per day. Fruit is good but too much can be harmful.
• Give your kids water with every meal to help wash away lingering food.
• Be selective with snacks (remember snacks are meals in between main meals so they should be light and low in sugar). Vegies, cheeses and lean meats are great and tasty options.

Babies can get decay too

Never put soft drinks, juice, flavoured milk or anything sweet in your baby’s bottle. You are exposing them to high concentrations of sugar for long periods of time which is a recipe for decay. A bottle with water is ok.

How to check if your child has decay

It’s wise to check every now and then.

Lift up their top lip, roll down their bottom lip so you can see the gums and look for white patches on the teeth that are close to the gum and don’t come off after brushing. This is a sign that tooth decay might be a problem. However, if you see grey, brown or black spots anywhere on the teeth this is not a good sign and you should book an appointment with your dentist straight away.

A change in behaviour or if your child is kept awake at night can also be a sign of tooth decay.

Dental Trauma

Accidents happen! And when they do, your kids’ teeth may get knocked out or damaged. Familiarising yourself with dental first aid means that you will be well prepared for handling dental trauma correctly.