Raising a toddler is like a full-time job with no off days. You have to be constantly on the watch, directing, and observing what and how they eat, learn and even their micro behaviors. In the midst of all the running and shouting (and laughter), you may forget to maintain your child’s bedtime dental health routine.
Of course, they may remember to brush their teeth by themselves, but most of the times, they may be too lazy to do so, or too distracted to remember their routine.
As such, you should assume the responsibility of making sure that your kid brushes their teeth every evening before bed. And no, it’s not just for routine purposes. Daily dental care for toddlers and kids, in general, has a lot of benefits, including:
Preventing Food Particles from Accumulating in The Mouth
Assuming that your child spends all their days in school, it means that by dinner time, they will have taken lunch, and probably a couple of snacks. These meals may leave small particles between the teeth and gums, and over time, they can accumulate and cause cavities and inflammation. Brushing before bed effectively removes all the day’s food particles, and remnant bacteria, from the teeth and gums.
Mitigating the Effects of Low Saliva Production at Night
Apart from aiding in digestion, saliva has also been proven to be an antibacterial agent. During the day, the mouth produces adequate saliva to protect the teeth from bacterial infections, and that’s why we can get away without brushing.
However, the body goes to rest when you sleep, which impacts the production of saliva, leaving your teeth vulnerable to oral bacteria. This type of bacteria is especially harmful to children’s teeth, as they’re still under development and not strong enough. Brushing your kid’s teeth after their last meal of the day removes most of the bacteria stuck in the mouth and thus protects their teeth when saliva secretion is low.
Preventing Build-Up of Plaque
In relation to the above point, failure to brush teeth before bedtime allows the bacteria and sugar particles stuck in the mouth to accumulate and eventually break down to form plaque. Plaque is typically a thin and sticky (often yellowish) film full of bacteria that coats the teeth.
Removing plaque can be quite expensive and sometimes may necessitate the removal of affected teeth. Apart from the huge dentist fees, the whole treatment process is painful to kids, and loss of teeth may cause psychological problems such as loss of self-esteem. To be on the safe side, it is important that your child brushes their teeth before going to bed. This prevents the accumulation of any particles that may form plaque.
Contact Us Today for All Your Dental Care Needs!
Your child’s dental health is your personal responsibility as a parent as it’s too important to be left to them. For one, they’re likely to “forget” to brush, or do so half-heartedly, which won’t help the cause.
At our dental clinic in Corona, we will train your child on how to properly brush their teeth, as well as help them craft an effective dental health routine so they can protect their teeth for longer. Give us a call today for any queries and bookings.