Protect Your Child’s Teeth From Cavities

Protect Your Child’s Teeth From Cavities

An estimated 4 million preschoolers experience tooth decay. While these teeth are not a toddler’s permanent teeth, they can be a painful occurrence and indicate an increased risk for cavities as your child ages.

As parents, it can be a struggle to help your child see the benefits of dental care at any age. However, there are many steps Dr. Bo Yun can recommend to help you ensure your child has the best habits possible to prevent cavities.

Use Age-Appropriate Dental Habits: Children should not use fluoridated toothpaste until preschool age. Until then, you can gently brush your child’s teeth with a soft children’s toothbrush. When your child is old enough to use toothpaste, a small, pea-sized dab should be sufficient. If you have specific questions on the best ways to brush your child’s teeth, Dr. Yun will be happy to assist you.

Watch Your Child’s Diet: One possible reason for the growing number of cavities is the increasing amount of sugar in a child’s diet. Sugar is nearly irresistible to cavity-causing bacteria. The longer these sugars linger on your child’s teeth, the more likely it is cavities will occur. This means avoiding sugary and sticky foods between meals and especially giving your child a juice bottle to drink on all day. The constant sugar exposure causes a condition known as “bottle mouth.”

Make Regular Dental Visits: You should typically start bringing your child to our Northvale dentist office around his or her first birthday. This visit allows Dr. Yun to evaluate your child’s overall dental health and identify potential early problems. This first visit is also an excellent time to ask questions about how to best care for your child’s teeth.

Cavities in children are a highly preventable occurrence. By providing routine dental care and making regular dentist’s trips to Dr. Yun’s office, you can keep your child’s teeth healthy.

Is it time to make a dental check-up appointment for your child? Call our Northvale dentist office at (201) 470-2757 to schedule an appointment that can help intervene before cavities and tooth decay occur.