This is the age where the children begin to interact with the world. They start going to school, start playing different sports which increases the risk of breaking their teeth. At the age of 6 years the parents can start teaching the kids to brush their own teeth. Initially the child should brush his/her teeth under the supervision of the parent. Once the parent feels comfortable they can let the child brush his/her teeth alone.
Parents should supervise the brushing of teeth for school-aged children until they are 7 or 8 years old.
When the teeth are touching, it is time to BEGIN FLOSSING. Ask the pediatric dentist for tips on flossing.
Remember to protect your child’s teeth when they participate in physical activities like sports. You can consult a pediatric dentist to determine which type of mouth guard is most appropriate for your child.
In our country most people have an RO water purifier installed at their home. The RO water purifier removes all the fluoride present in the water along with all the harmful substances. So we can say that the amount of fluoride being consumed by us is negligible. Hence it advised to use fluoridated tooth paste for all children.
BRUSHING TECHNIQUE: Angle the bristles of the toothbrush towards the gum. Move the brush in gentle circles to clean the outer sides of the teeth and gums. For the lower front teeth the brush should move down to up instead of circular motion.
FLUORIDATED TOOTHPASTE SHOULD BE USED.
Only a PEA SIZED amount of tooth paste should be used.
AVOID fizzy drinks because they can erode enamel on the teeth; sports drinks and juices have high acid levels which are bad for the teeth.