DENTAL HYGIENE
«Dental caries is currently the most frequent disease in childhood, with a high incidence in preschool children.»
Among the most common mistakes made and that result in the appearance of this problem, which can be prevented, in addition to the early consumption of sugary products, is the lack of brushing. “The hygiene of the teeth should start from the moment they appear in the mouth.
How should the cleaning be?
The first step is to know how the cleaning of children should be and to take into account the time dedicated to it; normally it is always insufficient and this can also lead to oral problems. It is recommended to brush your teeth at least twice a day, after breakfast and dinner and clean all the faces or surfaces of the tooth. ” In addition, brushing time should not be less than two minutes.
Step by step
The recommendations are “let the baby and / or child play for a minute and let the adult perform the hygiene for another minute, until the child has the appropriate motor skills (approximately at 8 years)”. From that moment, «night brushing should be supervised until adolescence.» Remember that «oral hygiene is done both to establish good oral habits and to protect temporary teeth.»
«By accustoming the baby to gentle dental cleaning and flossing, a pattern of care will be created that will accompany him for the rest of his life.»
Tooth paste, flour, tooth brush… which is the best?
As for how cleaning should be done and what products are most suitable for each age, here are a number of very useful tips.
In the case of babies, «start cleaning the gums from birth, once a day, even if the child does not have teeth, taking advantage of his bath time.» To do this, «a wet gauze, the tip of a clean cloth dampened with water or a silicone thimble will be used to clean gums, tongue, inside the cheeks and palate.»
It is advisable to start the hygiene of the teeth with the eruption of the first temporary or “milk” tooth that usually occurs around 6 months of age. In these cases, “a gauze, a silicone thimble or an infant toothbrush with 1,000 ppm toothpaste (parts per million) of fluorine ion” will also be used.
In children between 0 and 3 years the hygiene will be with a toothbrush adapted to the size of their mouth and the amount of toothpaste, also of 1,000 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride, “should be equivalent to a grain of rice”. When the temporary molars have come out, it is advisable to «floss through the contact areas between the molars before going to sleep.» At these ages, it is recommended that “a dental floss can also be used with wax and, if it is complicated due to the small size of the baby’s mouth, be replaced by floss positioners”. If necessary, «the pediatric dentist will indicate the need to apply topical fluorides according to the risk of caries of the child».
From 3 years of age, “the amount of toothpaste, between 1,000 and 1,450 ppm of fluorine ion, must be equivalent to a pea or, to better unify the criterion, to the width of the toothbrush head”, In this case, «the fluoride ion concentration of toothpaste will be determined based on the risk of caries of the child and it will be the pediatric dentist who will recommend it to the parents or baby-sitter.»
From 6 years of age, the amount of toothpaste with 1,450 ppm of fluorine ion, “will have to be the same as the width of the toothbrush head and, at these ages, the concentration of fluoride ion can be increased up to 5,000 ppm depending on the risk of caries of the child (active caries, incisive-molar hypomineralization, etc …) ”. In this case, «it will be the pediatric dentist who will prescribe it to the parents or baby-sitters.»
¿Electric or manual tooth brush?
A very common question among parents is the type of tooth brush that can be used with children.
«The electric tooth brushes adapted for children allow to speed up and improve the mechanical removal of the bacterial plaque”. In addition, it indicates that “the innovation, the simplicity of its handling and the new guidance systems for brushing, can help motivate the child to brush more frequently and for the necessary time”. On the other hand, «they also constitute an aid for parents who must brush their children´s teeth or make the final revision.»
The electric tooth brushes «homologated and designed for the child» are a good option especially when the eruption of permanent teeth begins. From the age of 12, «with all the final teeth in the mouth and with an oral cavity similar to adult´s size, they can start using adult tooth brushes.»
These should «have a medium hardness and the size of the head should be adequate to access all the teeth.»
The use of mouthwashes should also be delayed at 5 years, «or when the child knows how to spit,» as long as they should be recommended by «a pediatric dentist since they are a complementary method in measures of oral hygiene and control of diseases such as caries or gingivitis. » Those “daily or weekly fluoridated mouthwashes will be recommended after the child is able to use them without swallowing the contents.
For more information, visit your doctor; not self-medicate; or write us.