Dentistry For Children

When picking a snack for your child, consider how sticky it is to eat or chew. If you have difficulty cleaning a raisin off your teeth with your tongue, imagine how hard it will be for your little one – it may remain in the grooves of the teeth for a long time. Here are some healthy snack ideas:

• Whole fruits. Try to avoid dried fruits as they’re stickier and any kind of sugar can cause cavities if they stay on the teeth for too long.
• Vegetables. All-day, every day.
• Yogurt without added sugar. Try to avoid the drinkable or tube yogurts that are targeted to children as these contain a high amount of refined carbohydrates that can easily cause cavities.
• You love cheese, they love cheese.
• Take care with nuts if your child has allergies and always serve them appropriately for the age of your child since nuts are a serious choking hazard.

Parents have a never-ending list of things to worry about so be realistic about the nutrients your child needs – even sugar. Your kids can consume sugar in moderation but be careful of sugar intake throughout a day or week.

Your child’s teeth should be brushed for two minutes, two times a day with an appropriate amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Being able to tie their shoelaces independently (around age eight or nine) is a good indicator that children has enough hand dexterity to brush their own teeth. Until then, we recommend parents help brush their child’s teeth. Having your child lay down (just like at the dentist) is the best way to gain access to all the teeth for brushing and flossing. When neighbouring teeth start to touch and you can’t see in-between them, this is a good sign that it’s time to start flossing your child’s teeth. You can use regular string floss or a stick or holder to clean the in-between contacts. Water flossing should not be used in place of string flossing.