Fact or Fiction: Learning About Your Family’s Smiles: Part One

Posted April 26, 2016

Before you can effectively help keep your kids’ smiles healthy, you first need to understand what it takes to develop and maintain oral health. Sure, you probably already know it means daily tooth brushing and regular dental checkups. But what else is necessary to keep your family’s smiles healthy? Many people don’t realize all that effective preventive care entails. Fortunately many of the key steps in preventing dental issues like cavities and gum disease are simple. You can learn more about the oral health initiatives you can take from your children’s pediatric dentist. These steps can help you take better care of your own smile, but they are also critical if you want to be an even better ally for your kids’ oral health.

It’s okay to share food and utensils with your kids, as long as you’re not sick.

Unfortunately this is false. Even when both you and your children are healthy it is unwise to share food and utensils with them. This is especially true with young children, such as newborns.

Sharing items with your kids can introduce bacteria into their mouths, which can contribute to the development of tartar buildup and acidity, even if they only have a few teeth. Avoid the need for cavity treatment like fillings, and other restorative action, by resisting the urge or convenience of sharing food and utensils with your kids.

Kids should brush their teeth twice a day, for two minutes each time.

True! Brushing teeth twice a day is important. The time spent brushing is equally important, though. Much like washing hands, it’s necessary to brush for the appropriate amount of time. Make this simple and fun by using a song or instructional video to indicate when brushing time is done!