Oral health advice for children
Bad dental health can lead to stains on your teeth, bad breath, tooth decay or tooth loss, gum disease and many other health problems. These can be caused by incorrect brushing techniques and eating and drinking lots of sugary food and drinks.
Your dentist can help you with any questions you have about dental health, but most problems can be avoided by correct care of your teeth.
Toothbrushing tips
- Children under 3 years old should use a smear of toothpaste where as anyone over 3 years old should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
- Use a toothpaste containing 1450ppm fluoride for maximum prevention. The amount of fluoride will be stated on the box or tube of the toothpaste
- Brush all the surfaces of the teeth and gum line in small circles for 2 minutes, twice a day - just before bed and at another time of the day
- Spit out the toothpaste and do not rinse
Visiting the dentist tips
- Children should have regular check-ups at least once a year
- NHS dental treatment is free for children under 18 or under 19 and in qualifying full-time education
- Going to the dentist regularly helps your child become familiar with the dental practice, and enables the dentist to notice on any problems as early as possible
- The dentist can paint fluoride varnish on children’s teeth to protect them from tooth decay. All children over 3 should have it applied at least twice a year, and it may be used for younger children at high risk of tooth decay
Diet tips
- Reduce the amount and frequency of having foods and drinks that contain sugar, only give sweet foods at mealtimes
- Squash, fizzy drinks and sugary soft drinks have no place in a child’s daily diet
- Limit the amount of fruit juice and/or smoothies your child drinks to a maximum of 150 mls (one portion) in total per day and drink it with meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay
- Water and milk are the best drinks for your child's teeth
- Always ask for sugar-free medicines
- What Should I do if my child chips, breaks or knocks out a tooth?
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If your child has any mouth injury, you should contact your dentist immediately. If you are not registered with a dental practice contact the Dental Advice Line on 01743237916. The dentist will check the area and decide the appropriate treatment if needed.
If your child is in pain from a broken, cracked or chipped tooth, you should visit the dentist immediately. You may want to give an over-the-counter pain reliever to your child until their appointment.
Keep any part of the tooth that has broken off or fallen out and take this with you to the dentist. Please handle it with care and try to touch it as little as possible, Do not wipe or clean the tooth. Store it in water or milk until you get to a dental appointment.
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- Should I give my child a dummy?
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- It's okay to give your baby a dummy but avoid using them after 12 months of age. Using dummies or thumb-sucking can cause the top and bottom front teeth to move to make space for the dummy/thumb, making a gap in your child's mouth. This can also affect their speech development
- If you are using a dummy, use an orthodontic or flat dummy as they are better for your baby's teeth
- Discourage your child from running around, talking or making sounds with a dummy or their thumb in their mouth
- Don't dip dummies in anything sweet, such as sugar or jam or tea
- Never suck your baby’s dummy to ‘clean’ it as this will spread germs between you and your baby. Keep plenty of spares instead
- My child is in pain from teething, what can I do?
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- They may find it a relief to chew on something e.g. a teething ring
- Teething gels don’t usually help, but if you decide to try one, make sure it is suitable for a baby and sugar-free.
- Sugar-free paracetamol or ibuprofen can be given to relieve teething symptoms in babies and young children aged 3 months or older