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COVID-19 might dominate the news headlines, but that doesn’t mean that you can take a break from keeping your children’s teeth clean. In fact, the coronavirus makes the need to clean teeth more critical than ever. When social distancing, going to the kids dentist for avoidable treatment is the last thing you want.
In this post, we’re going to discuss five tips your kids can use to take care of your teeth during the coronavirus.
Brush For At Least Two Minutes, Twice Per Day
If dentists have said it once, they’ve said it a thousand times: brushing teeth twice per day for two minutes is the most critical thing you can do to keep them healthy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, try to encourage your children to brush for sufficient time and with proper technique. Remember, brushing is essential because it removes the bacteria and acid that leads to gum disease and tooth decay. It can help prevent your children from having to seek emergency dental care at the kids dentist.
Also, be sure that you teach your kids the correct technique. Just sliding the toothbrush around in the mouth for a couple of minutes won’t provide proper cleaning action. Show them the angle to hold the toothbrush. And help them develop a brushing routine that enables them to clean difficult-to-reach areas.
Teach Them How To Floss If They Don’t Yet Know
Flossing is another critical oral health practice that dramatically reduces the incidence of tooth decay and gum infections. Regular brushing, unfortunately, can’t scoop bacteria out of the gaps between teeth. The head of the brush is just too big, which means that bacteria can grow and multiply here, leading to gum infections and even abscesses.
The good news is that flossing is relatively straightforward. Fit the floss to the threader and then show your children the correct technique. Be sure to move the floss from side to side, not up and down, as this can damage the gum bed.
Eat Less Sugar And Refined Starch
Preventing things like tooth decay and gum disease is vital during the coronavirus outbreak. You want to reduce the amount that you leave the house to a minimum.
Besides brushing, the best thing that you can do to help your kids take care of their teeth during COVID-19 is to reduce the amount of sugar and refined starch in their diet. By doing this, you reduce the prevalence of the bacteria in their mouths that cause disease.
Reducing sugar and starch is a lot easier than you might imagine. Switching to diet soda, for instance, can help slash consumption, as can replacing white pasta with brown.
The more sugar you can get out of their diets, the less acid will form in their mouths, and the better off they’ll be.
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
In the past, virtually every toothpaste on the market contained fluoride. But recently, there has been an uptick in the number of non-fluoride-containing products on the market.
As a parent, you must avoid these kinds of toothpaste. Fluoride is essential because it strengthens the enamel, making it more difficult for bacteria acid to penetrate. You need to be especially careful if the water supply in your area is not fluoridated.
Just be careful not to expose children’s teeth to too much fluoride as it can discolor them.
Get Them To Rinse Their Mouths With Salt Water
There was a time in the past when commercial mouthwashes dominated the market. But more and more kids dentists are choosing to use salt water mouthwashes instead.
Salt water appears to offer two benefits. First, it kills harmful bacteria in the mouth, and, second, it also preserves the natural, healthy microbiome in the mouth. What’s more, it is easy to make during the COVID-19 pandemic when you can’t go to the kids dentist or the shop for commercial mouthwash. So long as you have salt in your home, you can whip it up in an instant.
Conclusion
With the coronavirus on the loose, there’s never been a better time to invest in your children’s oral health and avoid emergency visits to the kids dentist in Katy. COVID-19 is a dangerous disease, and we all need to prevent it from spreading in whatever way we can. The good news is that helping your kids take care of their teeth is much easier than you’d think. It all starts with good habits. The more you can make oral hygiene automatic, the less likely you’ll need to pay a visit to the clinic.
