Healthy Oral Hygiene 101: The Early Years

lovethesmileA healthy mouth is just as important as eating right and exercise.  Knowing what to eat and how to exercise is something that is taught or learned by perhaps a teacher, family member, friend, and the internet and so on.  Learning about good oral hygiene is no different and should be explored and understood just as efficiently as exercise and eating right.

 

Oral hygiene starts before birth.  Before birth you say?  That’s right; because a mother’s oral health can affect their baby.  Expecting mothers should maintain regular dental check-ups before their baby is born.  At birth when feeding your baby, you should wipe the baby’s gums with a clean, soft, damp cloth.  At around 6 months your dentist will want to examine your baby’s teeth for white, chalky spots on the teeth along the gum line.  At 1 year of age your baby should be introduced to a soft bristle toothbrush.  At 2 years of age your child is ready to advance to toothpaste with fluoride while maintaining their brushing twice a day.  Dental check-ups should be as frequent as every 6 months or more if recommended by your dentist.  At 6 years of age and older permanent molars will appear and should be sealed to avoid cavities.

 

If you live in or near Southlake, TX, Lake Cities Dental is the Family Dentistry & Orthodontics facility for you.  If you would like to research more on oral health care visit us at lakecitiesdental.com.

 

Lake Cities Dental, 1101 East State Highway 114, Suite 104, Southlake, TX 76092 / Call: (817)410-7373 / Website: https://wpdev.site/lcdv2 / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeCitiesDental / Twitter: @Lake_Cities

 

Source: “Brush-Up on Healthy Teeth”, Texas Department of State Health Services, Oral Health Program