Good dental hygiene is something that every family member should have, whatever the age, but when it comes to children, it’s even more important to make sure that teeth are properly looked after. As a child develops, their teeth start to harden and lay the foundations that will hopefully be there for their whole life, so it is good to establish proper brushing habits from a young age.

As soon as your child’s teeth start to appear, begin using a soft infants’ toothbrush twice a day, leading onto using regular fluoride toothpaste as your child begins nursery. For a developing child, fluoride is an essential part of dental health, as it helps strengthen the teeth from a young age, so if you live in an area with fluoride in the water supply, perhaps consider using fluoride tablets occasionally.

With children of all ages, the most common reason for visiting the dentist can usually be traced back to diet. Unfortunately children often have an insatiable sweet tooth, which obviously poses a risk to perfect teeth, so booking regular dental appointments is necessary; at least every six months. Likewise, try and limit the amount of sugar your child has in their diet, as too much will cause cavities by reacting to the mouth’s natural bacteria to form an acid which, if not cleaned away regularly, leaves teeth with small holes in them. These cavities are notoriously common in children, but can be avoided if your child brushes their teeth twice every day. Brushing is always essential, but your child’s teeth will stay healthy longer if they eat more ‘tooth friendly’ snacks like crackers, fruit and cheese.

Essentials to remember are first make sure your child is using the correct brushing technique, if they’re not then perhaps ask your dentist to advise on how best they should brush, and then make sure that they aren’t skipping brushing their teeth now and then, as this is how tooth decay starts. However, for comprehensive peace of mind, and to avoid any surprise emergency dental bills, consider getting dental insurance.