It’s natural to want to help your child build and maintain happy, healthy teeth and gums, but some parents are unsure how to teach them the value of proper prevention. After all, many kids avoid anything they consider a chore, including twice-daily brushing and flossing or routine preventive dental visits.
Thankfully, plenty of educational materials, such as dentistry toys and books, can help them understand the importance of regular maintenance. Keep reading to learn how you can encourage your child to clean their smile!
Why Does Dental Health Matter for Kids?
Some well-meaning parents and guardians of younger children assume that there’s no need to worry about their kid’s oral health until all their baby teeth arrive. But the longer you wait to schedule a dental visit, the more likely they are to develop common concerns, like cavities or gum disease.
It’s easy to think that decay doesn’t matter in primary teeth that eventually fall out to make room for adult ones. However, the truth is that caries is contagious and can spread to nearby enamel or affect the gums or jawbone. This, in turn, can impact how their permanent teeth grow and develop, leading to longer-term concerns.
As a result, the American Dental Association recommends cleaning their mouth from infancy and scheduling their first checkup and cleaning about the time their first tooth erupts, which is usually around their first birthday.
How Can I Discuss Dental Care with My Child?
Babies and toddlers don’t have the capacity to understand or implement their own dental care routines, so you’ll have to help them clean their teeth and gums through their early years. Then, once they’re big enough, you can help educate them about the importance of oral health using different educational materials.
For example, many storybooks feature beloved characters visiting the dentist and can help younger minds understand what happens during routine visits, so they’re less anxious when it’s their turn. You might also purchase dentistry toys to help them learn these concepts safely through play and exploration.
What Toys Can Help My Child Learn About Their Teeth?
There are a variety of dentistry toys that can help your child learn about teeth, gums, and oral hygiene. For example, you might purchase a “Crocodile Dentist” game that involves pressing a toy crocodile’s chompers. If you push the “bad” tooth, it snaps its mouth closed, gently trapping the fingers. This can help them learn about the consequences of not caring for their teeth.
You can also purchase a Play-Doh “Drill ‘n Fill Dentist” that includes a model mouth, tooth-shaped trays, and different child-friendly oral instruments, such as a toy toothbrush, mirror, and floss pick, so they can mold toy teeth and ‘treat’ them for fun.
Using toys and storybooks provides a stress-free approach to early dental hygiene and helps your child build healthy dental habits that set them up for success later in life!
About the Practice
Patients at The Dental Specialists Pediatric Dentistry benefit from a team of experts who are passionate about helping kids build and maintain beautiful, healthy teeth and gums. Dr. Santillan, Dr. Oliver, and Dr. Preece are accomplished pediatric dentists who collaborate to offer a full range of services, including routine checkups and cleanings, to care for still-developing smiles. Their gentle approach is paired with advanced technology to help kids feel calm and comfortable while they deliver accurate treatment results meant to last. You can request an appointment on the website or call (972) 364-7472.