A- Always brush & floss twice a day. Lead by example and make oral care a family affair. Use a toothpaste with fluoride! Using fluoride is one of the greatest ways you can protect your child’s teeth from decay. Start brushing as soon as your child’s first tooth erupts. Starting at an early age helps to create healthy brushing habits. Don’t forget about flossing between teeth as soon as they’re touching. Otherwise, you’ll miss 40% of tooth surfaces. If you’d like a tutorial on how to help your child floss, we’re always happy to demonstrate. Make sure your twice daily brushing sessions last for two minutes. Follow us on social media for tooth brushing tunes to make this time more entertaining. Brushing for the duration of each song will make the recommended two minutes go by fast!
B- Bring your child to West County Pediatric Dentistry twice a year for a cleaning and check up starting when their first tooth erupts. Twice yearly visits set a good foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles. The health of your child’s baby teeth plays a big role in determining the health of their adult teeth. Keeping their little chompers free from cavities and decay is also very important for their overall health. Starting by your child’s first birthday allows us to identify potential issues early. It also gets your children used to dental visits as a normal part of life. Our friendly office is designed to ease anxiety and normalize cleanings. If your child is nervous about visiting our dental practice in Ballwin, MO, you are welcome to schedule a time to just come in and say hello! We’ll show your family around and introduce them to our wonderful staff.
C- Choose healthy food to grow strong bodies and teeth. Healthy teeth and gums come not only from brushing, flossing, and visiting Dr. Shahnaz Ahmed at West County Pediatric Dentistry in Ballwin, but from the inside! What you put on your family’s dinner table has a big impact on their dental health. The vitamins and minerals in healthy foods help strengthen enamel, and keep inflammation in check with their antioxidants. On the other hand, sugar, and food that is known to cause decay, will weaken enamel and cause cavities. When your family is indulging in candy, chocolate is always preferable to gummy, sticky candies which are difficult to get out of the grooves of teeth.
As always, call our best pediatric dentist in St. Louis office at (636) 527-2779 with questions.