Oral disease is largely preventable, but many children still suffer from tooth decay (dental caries). This can mean pain, sleepless nights and sometimes major dental treatment including extraction of teeth under a general anaesthetic.
Because tooth decay in the primary (baby) teeth can mean that a child will develop tooth decay in the secondary (permanent) teeth, it is important that they adopt good oral hygiene habits early in life.
Eat well
Eating a wide variety of nutritious foods is important, especially during childhood when growth and development are occurring. Childhood is a time when eating habits are established. It is important to encourage healthy eating behaviours that can contribute to good oral health and wellbeing.
- Provide children with a variety of nutritious foods including fruit and vegetables, natural yoghurt legumes and meats.
- Limit the frequency of sweet snacks between meals as this is when tooth decay is most likely to occur.
Drink well
Encourage children to drink plenty of tap water, especially if you live in a fluoridated area, as this will help fight tooth decay.
Sugary drinks such as soft drinks, sports drinks, cordials and fruit juices are not important for a healthy diet and contribute to tooth decay, so try to limit how much of these your child drinks.
- Encourage your child to drink tap water and plain milk.
- Limit the intake of sweet drinks - especially between meals.
Find out more about Food and drink.
Clean well
Thorough tooth cleaning with the correct technique is required for the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums. Good oral hygiene at an early age will reduce the likelihood of gum disease later in life. Encourage children to clean their teeth at least twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
- Use a soft children’s toothbrush and low fluoride toothpaste from 18 months to 6 years of age (a pea sized amount is enough).
- Assist your child to brush their teeth (up to 7 years of age).
- Encourage children to spit out the toothpaste after brushing rather than rinse out.
Play well
If a child plays football, hockey, cricket or any other contact sports where their mouth may be knocked or injured, they need a mouth guard for both training and playing. The use of mouth guards in the prevention of injury is well accepted and some recreational activities may even require a full face helmet or face guard.
Stay well
It is important that children develop healthy habits from an early age. These include habits that maintain good oral health such as tooth brushing, a nutritious diet, protection from the sun and regular visits to the dentist.
Oral health check-ups should start as soon as the first tooth appears and no later than 12 months of age. How often your child should visit will be recommended by the dentist or other oral health professional.
- Don’t delay if there is a problem – have it checked immediately.
- Help your child to accept that dental visits are part of a regular routine.
- Try making the appointment earlier in the day so that your child is not tired.
Thumb sucking
Thumb and finger sucking once the permanent or secondary teeth begin to erupt may affect your child’s appearance, speech and ability to bite. It may also cause teeth to grow out of line.
There are various things you can do to help your child to stop sucking their thumb:
- Reward your child and offer encouragement to reinforce their decision to stop the habit.
- Limit nagging. If children feel they are being nagged, they may become defensive.
- Mark their progress on a calendar by placing a star or a tick for each period (such as a day or week) that your child does not suck their thumb or finger. Provide a special outing or a toy if your child gets through the period successfully.
- Encourage bonding with a special toy.
- Reminders – give your child a mitten to wear, or place a band aid over the thumb at bedtime as a reminder not to suck.
- Offer distractions – while your child is watching TV, have toys available that they can play with. Sit with your child during this time and cuddle them to help them not to suck. In the car, have toys available to keep your child occupied.
Orthodontics
Some children may require orthodontic treatment such as braces or plates to correct teeth and jaw alignment problems such as crooked or crowded teeth. It can be more difficult to keep teeth and gums healthy with all the wires and brackets needed to move the teeth.
It is vital that children clean their braces and plate every time they brush their teeth. Braces can act as a "plaque trap", increasing the amount of plaque on teeth, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of decay and gum disease.
Oral care is important because it will help keep treatment time on course and might even help reduce it. Furthermore, it will contribute to the long-term health of your child’s teeth and gums.
Find out more about Orthodontics.