Teaching a child proper personal care

Dental habits

A child's permanent teeth start coming in between the ages of five-and-a-half and seven. The first to appear are the molars, which grow at the back of the mouth where there are no baby teeth. As the roots of your child's baby teeth dissolve, they will loosen and fall out easily with little or no bleeding. Parents can wiggle the loose teeth but should not force them out. On occasion, a baby tooth must be removed by a dentist to make way for a permanent tooth. By the time your child is twelve, he should have lost all of his baby teeth and have acquired most of his permanent teeth, except for the third molars, or wisdom teeth.

By about age six, your child may be able to brush her own teeth. However, she may not brush far enough back in the mouth to clean the new six-year molars. Check periodically to make sure they're getting proper attention. You may want to try plaque-disclosing tablets (GUM Red-Cote by Butler). The night-time brushing is the most critical. When your child is asleep, the saliva that helps keep his mouth clean during the day isn't nearly so active.

This is a good age to introduce your child to dental floss, but it may take her a while to become proficient at using it. Help her out until she can floss by herself. Most kids need to be regularly reminded to brush their teeth. Left to their own devices, kids of this age may develop dental caries and bad breath as a result of poor dental hygiene. Remind your child to brush after sugary snacks, after meals, and before bed. You might also want to keep a supply of celery and carrots in the fridge as a shortcut to cleansing the mouth. Most kids are more likely to grab a celery stick than to brush their teeth after a snack.

The Orthodontic Years

Jaws that shift or make sounds, poorly aligned or crowded teeth, finger, sucking, mouth breathing, or difficulty chewing are just some of the indicators that your child needs an orthodontic examination. Orthodontics correct a number of dental and facial irregularities such as crooked or crowded teeth or protruding "buck" teeth.

Although orthodontic treatment is usually linked with adolescence, a child with these problems should first visit the orthodontist between the ages of seven and eleven. An early examination allows the orthodontist to determine how best to treat your child in order to minimize the length and the cost of the treatment. Depending on the severity of your child's problem, payment for a prolonged treatment can usually be handled by an initial down payment and monthly installments.

During treatment, you and your child and the orthodontist must work together as a team to ensure success. Dental care takes more time and effort when your child is wearing braces, but meticulous cleaning helps prevent swollen gums, cavities, and bad breath. Ensure that your child does a thorough cleaning at least once a day, perhaps best at bedtime. She should brush vigorously until every trace of food and plaque disappears from her teeth and braces. To finish, you might try plaque-disclosing tablets to see how well she has reached the plaque along the gum line. It's also important to rinse after brushing.

The orthodontist's aide or hygienist will show your child various cleaning techniques and may recommend special tools such as a floss threader or an interproximal brush to make cleaning between braces easier. Get your child into the habit of brushing, or at least rinsing, after every meal. Limit the sweets your child consumes, and completely eliminate sticky candy, caramels, and bubble gum.