Oral Health

Imagine how you would feel smiling with missing teeth?

Knowing your smile was different to your friends smile. Tooth extraction is still one of the most common hospital procedures in young children, with 9 out of 10 children aged 0-5yrs, being due to preventable tooth decay. We know that good oral health is a crucial part of our overall wellbeing, so let’s make it a priority from day 1.

Milk Teeth:  A baby’s first tooth usually erupts between 6 & 12 months of age and by the time your child is 2 and a half years of age, all 20 baby teeth will be present.

Using a small headed toothbrush and a smear of fluoride mint toothpaste, start to brush as soon as a tooth appears. Brush gums as well to prevent gum disease. From the age of 3 years, a pea sized amount of fluoride mint toothpaste is used as your child will have a developed the ability to spit the excess toothpaste out. Sometimes a battle can commence with our strong-minded toddlers who do not wish their teeth to be brushed. Making it fun can help, using resources such as teeth brushing songs, brushing your teeth together and the use of a simple sticker chart.

Your child will need support brushing their teeth until they reach the age of 7 years, it is at this age that they adopt the fine motor skills needed to clean all their teeth to a good standard. This often coincides with them beginning to write in joined up handwriting. Around the age of 6- 7 years, the first adult tooth will normally make an appearance.

A note, that the Buckinghamshire Tooth Fairies are very particular in the quality of the teeth they collect, opting for good, clean white teeth. They also choose not to fly in inclement weather for the fear of damage to their wings.

The importance of fluoride in our toothpaste:

In Buckinghamshire we have very little fluoride in our water. It is therefore essential that we have a presence of it in our toothpaste to protect our teeth. It will slow down the growth of bacteria, strengthen the enamel layer of the teeth and remineralise early decay back into the tooth.

0-3 years – smear of toothpaste containing 1000 ppm of fluoride.

3 years + – pea sized amount of toothpaste containing 1350 – 1500 ppm fluoride.

A 3 yr + toothpaste will often have the same level of fluoride in it as an adult toothpaste, the difference being a less intensity of mint flavour.

Always favour a “mint” flavoured tooth over other flavours as the transition onto adult toothpaste in due course will be much easier. Finally, do not allow your child to eat the toothpaste as an excess of fluoride over a long period can cause dental fluorosis.

3 simple steps for preventing tooth decay:

1/ Cleaning and brushing your teeth twice a day, working up to 2 minutes for each brush when all teeth are cut.

The bedtime brush is the most important due to our mouths producing less saliva during the night.

2/ Visit a Dentist x 2 a year.

If you don’t have a family dentist you can search for one via the NHS website.
Input “find a dentist” add your “postcode” and a list of local dentists will display.

3/ Have a tooth friendly approach to food and drink.

Many sugars are hidden, be mindful of sugar content and read traffic light food labels on food items.

For good oral health, higher sugar foods are best consumed at meal times

Dried fruit can be misleading, it is high in sugar so important not to offer as a snack.

Water and milk are the best drinks for our children.

Never put juice/squash in a teated bottle.

ALWAYS REMEMBER WE ARE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF OUR CHILD’S SUGAR INTAKE!