
Preventing Tooth Decay in Kids: Essential Tips for Healthy Little Smiles
There is a common misconception that tooth decay in children doesn’t really matter, as long as it occurs in their milk teeth and not their adult teeth. This is an opinion often held by parents and this attitude can be passed to their children.
While it is true that the milk teeth will fall out and be replaced by adult teeth, there are still risks in allowing the milk teeth to become badly decayed. Rather than teach children that these are their “practice” teeth, and they don’t need to care for them, it’s better to teach them to take better care of their teeth when they are the most vulnerable.
Milk teeth are softer than adult teeth, so they are more likely to suffer from dental decay. Children are also more likely to have a sugary diet. And they are also less likely to be brushing effectively. This means that their teeth are at greater risk of decay.

How common is tooth decay in children?
In 2019, one study found that 23% of 5 year olds had suffered from dental decay. Another survey found that 80% of dental health professionals have reported an increase in instances of tooth decay in young people.
There is clearly more dental decay in children than we would like to see. But what can be done to prevent this? Children rely on their parents and other role models to lead the way and teach them healthy habits. By establishing good oral health habits and an understanding of why this matters from a young age, you can set young people up for success.

What are the risk factors for dental decay at a young age?
While it might be true that the milk teeth will fall out to be replaced by adult teeth, this isn’t a good reason to neglect oral health until the adult teeth arrive. Here are some of the risk factors associated with dental decay in young children.
Dental decay in the milk teeth could require an extraction. This can disrupt the way the adult teeth emerge, leading to misalignments, impacted teeth or overcrowding. If the milk teeth do not fall out naturally, there is a risk the natural progression to adult teeth will be disrupted.
Teaching children that they only need to care about the adult teeth could be complicated when they have a mixture of adult teeth and milk teeth. It’s far better to encourage children to take care of all their teeth. They can “practise” with their milk teeth, but the goal should be to keep these teeth as healthy as possible so they can establish good routines from a young age.
Milk teeth are softer than adult teeth, so they will decay much faster. This is why regular checkups are so important, as it will help to catch the early signs of dental decay that could be fixed with a simple filling rather than waiting until an extraction is required.
There is an increased risk that children could develop a phobia of the dentist if they have to undergo lots of procedures at a young age. Daily brushing and regular checkups can set them on the right course to good oral hygiene habits and they will see their dentist as a positive influence rather than something to fear.

How can you inspire children to take good care of their teeth?
Parents have so much to worry about that many will often have to pick their battles. We don’t think that oral health is something that you should compromise on or let slide.
Once something becomes a daily habit, your child will do it on autopilot and it won’t be a struggle anymore. If you are struggling to get your child to brush their teeth or to make healthy food choices, speak to your dentist about how we can help to guide them.
Make friends with the dentist
We don’t use fear to influence children, as this will only lead to a fear of the dentist rather than good oral health habits. Instead, we use positive reinforcement and help the child to understand the consequences of not caring for their teeth.
Daily brushing routines
Daily brushing is essential for good oral health, so we’ll start there. Teaching your child that they need to brush their teeth for two minutes in the morning then again at night is essential. An electric toothbrush can help to make this process easier and more fun. You can also explore different flavours of toothpaste if your child doesn’t like the minty flavour.

Better food and drink choices
Next, we can educate children on how their food and drink choices will influence their oral health. Encouraging children to reach for water when they are thirsty is a great place to start. They can still enjoy fizzy drinks, but they should be reserved for an occasional treat.
Skip the snacks
Avoiding snacking between meals is another great health habit that will set your child up for life. They can still enjoy sweet treats, but this should be after a meal rather than as a snack between meals.
Instead of demonising certain food and drink items and making them “forbidden” treats that will only increase their appeal, we can moderate consumption and make them occasional treats. A treat is also more effective and rewarding if we don’t have it as often.
Final thoughts on maintaining health little smiles
By establishing good oral health habits from a young age, children can head into their teens with an excellent understanding of how to care for their teeth. They’ll also understand why it matters.
You don’t have to make them afraid of the dentist or of the consequences in order to create healthy habits for life. By reinforcing the right decisions and discouraging unhealthy choices, you can help your child to learn the value of taking good care of their teeth.
If you need additional support to encourage your child to make the right choices, book an appointment with our team. Together, we can approach the topic in a positive way and help your child to protect their oral health.

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