With Family Day fast approaching, parents become more and more aware of their roles as loving caregivers with a great deal of responsibilities to tend to – from something as broad as instilling the right morals in our children, all the way to their health. As parents, our child’s health and well-being are constantly on our minds.

We strive,every day, to ensure that they are eating the right foods, getting enough exercise and play time. And from here, even more nuances must be accounted for; there are so many details when it comes to children’s health that it’s far too easy to privilege a holistic outlook and forget about seemingly-minute things, like oral healthcare. This, however, is extremely detrimental. We mustn’t forget things like the importance of regular X-Ray checkups and teeth cleanings, lest problems develop down the line, in adulthood – here, then, are a few ways to cultivate good oral health for young individuals.

1. Practice Makes Perfect

As parents, we need to be sure that our children’s oral health is becomes one of their top priorities, given that tooth decay is the leading oral disease in children. Indeed, oral hygiene habits must be instantiated in the early years of our children’s lives. Teaching good habits is therefore the first step in promoting good oral health. You should begin brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they appear. You should begin helping your child floss and use fluoridated tooth paste as soon as they can spit. As your child gets older, you should begin allowing your child to brush their teeth themselves under your supervision, brushing at least twice a day. You should also, as your child gets older, start to instill in them the importance of maintaining regular appointments with the dentist.

2. Pay Close Attention To Diet

Another important way to ensure good oral health is eating the right foods. Fruits and vegetables are two major foods that we push our kids to consume because we know that it’s good for their bodies, but these foods are also very beneficial to your child’s oral health. The intake of fruits and vegetables help increase the production and flow of saliva, which, in turn, helps wash away food debris, which can lead to tooth decay. They also neutralize acids in the mouth that can cause damage and decay to the teeth. You should also avoid allowing your child to intake a lot of juices, and if you have a toddler, it’s a good idea to ditch the pacifier by age 2 or 3.

3. Be Proactive
The most important part of maintaining oral health is preventative therapy, which is done by maintaining regular appointments with the dentist and regular x-ray checkups. Taking these measures can do a great deal in preventing tooth decay, which could lead to your child needing root canal therapy. In the event of tooth decay already presenting itself, root canal therapy can be done to save the tooth, relieve tooth pain, and preserve the cosmetic appearance. Although root canal therapy is common procedure, it’s best performed by an endodontic specialist, so it’s highly recommended that you research renowned practitioners in your area.

Children’s minds are, no doubt, very malleable, and their health depends upon cultivating healthy routines – the key to maintaining oral hygiene in adulthood, then, is ensuring that the right care is taken now, as there is no room for hesitation when it comes to well-being of one’s teeth.