Getting a child used to brushing their teeth is not that difficultIt is as simple as it may seem at first glance. Kids do not like this and try to avoid hygiene procedures in every possible way. Some resort to trickery and secretly squeeze out toothpaste into the sink, others pretend to wash their face, but only wet their face. But even those who try to be diligent do not know how to brush their teeth properly. Maximum - run the brush over the enamel for 30 seconds, and then rinse the mouth. As a result, baby teeth begin to rot, caries, plaque and tartar appear. And this poses a serious threat, since the infection can spread to permanent (molars). Therefore, it is so important not only to teach your child to do everything correctly, but also to explain that his health depends on it. And the sooner you start brushing your child's teeth, the better.
We begin with the basics: we watch the cleanliness of the mouth of very small children
Babies under one year of age should not be given a toothbrush.brush, as he can swallow it, scratch himself or injure himself. Parents will have to take care of the oral cavity. At the same time, you must remember that everything is done voluntarily, carefully and in a good mood, otherwise the child will simply be afraid of such procedures. But how to brush the teeth of a one-year-old child who still does not really understand anything? In fact, everything is simple, the main thing is patience. So, if he is a little less than a year old, you can simply remove food debris with a piece of cloth. To do this, you will need a regular napkin and purified boiled water. Blot the piece and begin to wipe the enamel with it. Thus, your baby will get used to the fact that after each meal you need to clean his mouth. You can also brush your child's teeth with a special fingertip. It can be purchased at a pharmacy. Thanks to such a device, you can even remove dirt between the teeth. At the same time, you will calculate your strength and will not harm the little one. When the child grows up a little (1.5-2 years), you can gradually accustom him to independence. Naturally, at first it is difficult to do this, since the baby wants to play all the time. As a result, toothpaste ends up on mom, and on the mirror, and on the towel, and in the hair. There is nothing terrible about this, because all children, including you, started out like this. Therefore, there is no need to scold and punish for such innocent pranks. You should only explain that this should not be done. Show how to squeeze out the toothpaste correctly, what to do with a brush. And for the first six months to a year, brush your baby's teeth yourself. When you understand that he can cope with this task himself, feel free to trust him with such a responsible and important matter.
How to first introduce a child to a toothbrush
As psychologists say, the way you firstOnce you do everything, it depends on whether the baby will like brushing teeth or not. The child needs to be shown that it is not scary or painful at all, but fun and amusing. The very first times, you can do everything together, setting an example for the baby. Let him see that even mom and dad are not afraid of this “monster”. Babies generally like to imitate adults. Beforehand, it is worth going shopping with your child so that the child can choose a beautiful toothbrush for himself. Remember that each person should have his own. At the same time, make sure that it meets all norms and standards. The bristles should not be too sharp, hard, and the head should not be long. It is great if the villi are of different lengths, located at an oblique angle. Thanks to this, it is easier to clean the interdental spaces, in which food constantly remains and bacteria accumulate. The head itself should not be too large and voluminous, a maximum of two front teeth of the baby. It is better to take a round brush without protruding corners. This way you will be absolutely sure that your child will not damage the gums, scratch himself or knock out a tooth. As for the color and shape of the handle, here everything depends on the wishes of your baby. If he has any favorite characters or animals, they can be drawn on the brush. By the way, there are models made in the form of rattles, when some sound is emitted inside the handle. They are made in such a way that the child knows when he is making the wrong movements. After all, noises appear only if the brush is located vertically, and not horizontally. Also, a toy brush made in the form of dolls, cars, etc. can interest a little person. If you want your baby to know when it is time to finish brushing his teeth, use a special model that either changes color or makes a sound after three minutes. Please note: the toothbrush is changed every three months. Otherwise, bacteria will multiply on the villi, which can get into the still unprotected child's body. You don't want to constantly take your child to the dentist from an early age. Therefore, do not forget about such an important rule.
Choosing toothpaste for a child
The very first thing you should pay attention to isAttention when buying toothpaste - this is the age category. Today, you can buy products for children up to 5-6 years old, which practically do not contain fluoride and other similar elements, and for schoolchildren from 6 to 13. In the second case, the paste is almost exactly the same as for adults, only the concentration of that same fluoride is lower. Plus, they are often completely hypoallergenic. Pay attention to the contents. Always read the composition. Manufacturers are required to indicate the amount of fluoride contained in the paste, as well as the age for which their product is suitable. Do not experiment with various additives without first consulting a pediatric dentist. Yes, there are some that help with tooth growth. They have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. But if your baby is allergic, this option is completely contraindicated. Ask if there is a certificate confirming the quality of the product. You do not want your baby to be poisoned by a fake. The tube itself should be tight, without sharp corners, otherwise the curious child will simply get hurt. And do not forget to look at the expiration date. For a one-year-old baby, you need to buy the simplest children's toothpaste, preferably with a berry flavor. A sweet aroma and bright color will certainly attract the child's attention, but in this case, you should be careful. Children love to taste everything, so the contents of the tube risk migrating into the stomach of a small person. In small doses, of course, this is not dangerous. But your child can swallow half a pack while you are distracted by something else. Therefore, always monitor the process. The first two or three times, you can not even use the paste at all. Wet the brush and move it over the baby's teeth. Is he not afraid anymore? Great. Now we teach him not to swallow saliva while brushing, but to spit into the sink. And when he learns to do even this, you can proceed to more serious procedures. We squeeze the toothpaste onto the head (the size of a pea, no more), then carefully begin to brush the front teeth. If the baby does not like something, stop for a while. Let him completely calm down. You can distract him with something, using, for example, a toy, TV, etc.
Technique for cleaning teeth: how to do it right
Unfortunately, even adult men and women do notalways know how to brush your teeth properly. Sluggish left-right movements, performed half-asleep or at night, as sad as it may sound, will not bring any benefit. You will only smear dirt and waste time. So, let's remember how to brush your teeth properly. If these are the front or side teeth, then the brush is positioned at a slight angle (somewhere around 45 degrees). The movements themselves are soft, progressive, from the gum to the edge, as if you are scraping dirt from the surface. In no case should you make circular movements, as you can bring some nasty thing into the gum. And do not press hard on the brush so that the handle crunches. If you overdo it, the baby's tooth may either start to hurt, or a piece of enamel may chip off. You can also show your child a cartoon in which some fairy-tale character will talk about the importance of brushing teeth and taking care of the oral cavity. Plus, in a playful way, he will show what the child should do himself so that he does not have problems with caries. Another option for how to teach a child to take care of his teeth is to take him to a pediatric dentist. There he will be offered to perform this procedure, then a special device will be applied to the enamel. The monitor will show whether everything was really cleaned correctly. Having seen the microbes with their own eyes, perhaps children will no longer want to neglect basic hygiene rules. But you should take such a step only when your child understands and realizes everything. And this is already at least 6-7 years old.
Time for cleaning teeth
How many times a day and how long should you brush?teeth so that they are snow-white, healthy and beautiful? Both a one-year-old child and an adult need to spend 2-3 minutes a day in the morning and evening. If the baby gets bored quickly, you should come up with some exciting game to distract attention. If you want, you can arrange a competition to see who can cope with this task better. Remember that in this case, you will not help with shouting and punishment. You will only harm, because then the baby will go to the bathroom as if torture awaits him there. And we do not strive to turn basic hygiene rules into a hated activity that you will want to avoid.
To keep your teeth healthy
Surely you want your baby to havea healthy, snow-white smile. But how to achieve this? Believe me, just brushing your teeth is not enough. There are many other factors that affect gums and enamel. Therefore, you should do everything possible to avoid some dental diseases.
- Visit a regular dentist
Milk teeth are more susceptible to caries, thereforeYou and your baby should go to the clinic at least once a quarter. Of course, the first few times the baby will resist, be capricious, and scream. But if you gently explain that this uncle will not do anything bad to him, he will calm down. There are many different opinions about when you should visit the doctor for the first time. Ideally, as soon as the teeth begin to cut through. But if the child behaves calmly, you can wait a little with the visit. The child cries day and night? Well, you will have to go for an examination. Also, if something happened to your child's teeth (a piece fell off, a whole one was knocked out, the enamel cracked), immediately go to the dentist. You do not need to wait for the right moment - it may never come. And the fragment will constantly injure the cheek or gum, causing pain.
- Proper nutrition
An important role in this case is also played by the fact thatwhat you feed your baby. Try to accustom him to healthy products from childhood. Give him vegetables, fruits, make porridge with milk. But candies, pastries and flour products should be avoided. Sweets are the biggest enemy of teeth. It is better to replace chocolates and bars with dried fruits, honey, jam. And do not forget to remind the baby that after each meal he should rinse his mouth. As you can see, nothing complicated or supernatural is required from parents. But remember, the earlier you begin to teach the baby basic rules of hygiene, the higher the probability that he will continue to follow them in the future. At an older age, children begin to protest if parents try to force them to brush their teeth. But, naturally, the last word still remains with moms and dads.
