If you have kids, you might be already teaching them about the importance of looking after their dental hygiene, and take them for checkups. Unfortunately, when we get busier and our daily schedules change, our oral hygiene routine will change. Neglecting your teeth can cost you a fortune, so it is important that you choose long lasting solutions and focus on prevention first. Below you will find a few tips on how to look after your family’s oral hygiene at every age.
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Regular Routine
From an early age, you should teach your kids to brush their teeth every morning and night, as a minimum. Even if they are going for a school trip or on a sleepover, you will need to ensure that you are checking on them and remind them to look after their teeth. Every habit takes long weeks, if not months to stick, so it is important that you are taking responsibility for providing the right guidance to your kids.
Choosing The Right Brush and Toothpaste
It is not enough to just brush regularly; you might want to ask your dentist which brush and toothpaste to use. You might have teeth that are too close, or suffer from infections, bone issues that will prevent you from making the most out of a regular dental routine. If your teeth get stained or you suffer from plaque, you might need a special treatment and a hygienic intervention.
Flossing
Many people underestimate the importance of flossing. It might be making your oral hygiene routine a few seconds longer, but it is definitely less painful than a descaling treatment or a bleeding gum or tooth. You will, however, need to find the right type of dental floss, and your dentist can certainly help you with choosing one.
Early Orthodontics Assessments
If you want your kids to have a perfect smile, you might want to get them to have a dental assessment and a referral to the orthodontics clinic. Under a certain age, the treatment is free or pretty cheap, and there is nothing more valuable you can give your kids than the confidence to smile. If you miss the opportunity, you will never forgive yourself.
Long Term Solutions
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It is also crucial that you focus on the long term solutions. For example, you might get a denture for cheap, and it will be OK for a while, but maintaining it will be hard, not to mention the lack of comfort. Instead, you can get some strong and long lasting dental implants that will last for decades and feel like you haven’t even broken a tooth at all. If your child breaks a front tooth, you don’t want them to live with it for the rest of their lives: get a professional technician to restore their smile.
If you want your teeth to last for a lifetime, you will need to make the most out of the checkups and preventive measures. It is your responsibility to teach your kids how to look after their teeth.
A majority of dentists will suggest using a brush that has soft bristles that are round. When you receive the soft bristles ensure that you are brushing lightly. If you’ve used bristles with stiff bristles then this could be an habit that you should break.