One of the most important things as a parent is to teach our children proper hygiene and show them how to maintain it. And as parents we know that this takes time – and time is energy. With low energy makes it tough for parent to keep up with this task, so here are a few ways to make it simpler.

1. Get a Dental Checkup – It’s always a good idea to talk with a dentist when you toddler is first starting to cut teeth. A dentist does not need to check for cavities or anything but does need to make sure that the teeth are coming in correctly and if there is any preventative action that needs to take place.
2. Teach Good Habits – The main thing to teach here is consistency. Brush their teeth in the morning and then brush their teeth again in the evening. Flossing can be taught later, but just as long as they know that brushing is important early on as a child. They will then grow up with this habit and won’t have to learn it later. After you brush their teeth at night, don’t give them any more food or beverages. Water is fine, but nothing else. You don’t want them to go to sleep with sugar on their teeth. The important thing at this age is that they learn schedules. 
3. Avoid Baby Bottle Decay – Don’t put your young one to bed with a bottle of juice, formula, or milk. Do this for the same reason you don’t give them any other food after they’ve brushed their teeth at night. It’s a constant stream of sugar into their mouth as they sleep which opens the door for tooth decay. 
4. Cut Back on Juice – Juice is great for children. It is full of vitamins that can make them strong and healthy. But juice also has a lot of fructose, which is a sugar found naturally in fruit. And just like any other sugar it can lead to tooth decay. It is wise to give your child about 4 ounces of 100% juice a day. If they want something more than that, than we would recommend serving them water. 
5. Ditch the Pacifier – Pacifiers are helpful with infants but when your child has a mouth full of teeth, than we suggest not using it anymore. It can affect tooth alignment and disfigure the shape of the mouth. It is best to talk to a doctor or dentist if your child is using a pacifier past the age of 3.
6. Watch Out for Sweet Meds – This is one that most parents don’t think about. Many child medications have quite a bit of sugar added to them. If your child is sick with a cold or flu, than try picking a medication with as little sugar as possible. Yes, we all know that a “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”, but it doesn’t really help if your child is prone to cavities.

With these six tips, you are well on your way to keeping your child healthy and on track in terms of hygiene and clean teeth. If you find that your toddler needs a teeth cleaning or dental checkup than give us a call or message us online via email or our webform. We hope you found this article helpful!