Introduction
Good oral health ensures that a child can enjoy eating whatever they like. Healthy gums and teeth may also have a significant impact on a child's ability to learn, interact, and carry out day-to-day tasks. In some cases, consistent toothaches or gum problems may impair a child's academic performance, resulting in school leaves and a lack of concentration on studies. Following daily dental health protocols are critical to ensure that a child doesn't end up getting cavities or any gum problems.
Regular assessment of your child's teeth and gums may also help in detecting any early signs of oral health issues. However, sometimes kids may acquire certain bad habits about their dental health that may have negative implications on their oral health. In such a scenario, parents need to pick up these patterns and make the child get rid of them as soon as possible.
Bad Oral Health Habits That May Negatively Impact a Child's Dental Health
Here are some bad oral health habits that may negatively impact a child's oral health.
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Eating Too Much Sugar
As per a research paper called The Sweet Danger of Added Sugar, published in 2019, sugar intake is not good for a child from a nutritional perspective. However, a child who consumes too much sugar and doesn't brush at least twice a day might end up getting gum problems or toothache. Constant ignorance may lead to tooth cavities and perpetual gum swelling.
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Not Brushing Properly
As per the journal ‘Comparison of toothbrush habits of primary school age children and parents’, a kid should spend at least 2 to 3 minutes brushing their teeth properly. Every corner of the mouth needs to be cleaned first thing in the morning and just before going to bed. While kids might brush regularly, many of them don't do it correctly, which is why the accumulation of plaque and food that is stuck might be a common problem for many kids.
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Using Teeth to Open Things
Many times, kids may nonchalantly open bottles and chew plastic toys with their teeth. This may put sudden and immense pressure on the gums and may damage teeth from the inside. In some cases, the effect might not be immediate, but things start to worsen as a child grows up. It may cause tooth decay or constant gum infections.
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Biting Nails
Biting nails is a habit that a child may indulge in when they are anxious or under confident about something. It's bad for the gut as well as for oral health. This is because the gunk stuck from the nails enters the mouth and may cause germ infections.
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Not Flossing
Keeping the tongue clean is as important as keeping the gums and the teeth clean. This ensures that any kind of plaque that is accumulated on the surface of the tongue gets washed out timely. A child who doesn't frequently clean their tongue might suffer from the problem of bad breath, and there is always a potential risk of dental issues.
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Not Going for Regular Checkups
Although parents can check the dental health of a child at home from time to time, getting regular health checkups is necessary to detect any underlying condition timely. Visiting a dentist may not be a very fun experience for a child, but it is a requisite to ensure that a child's mouth and teeth remain in the best condition.
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Swallowing Toothpaste
This might be a common problem among kids who have just started to brush their teeth on their own. For some kids, it's involuntary while others might like the taste of the toothpaste that's why they swallow it. However, it is important to understand that toothpaste might contain harmful chemicals that cannot be consumed.
How To Avoid Common Dental Mistakes Among Kids
Here is how parents can avoid some common dental mistakes among kids to ensure that their child always has a healthy and happy smile.
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Regular Brushing
One of the most common ways to ensure that a child doesn't get any cavities is to make them brush at least two times a day. It is a fundamental step that may ensure that a child doesn't face any dental health issues even when they grow up.
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Continuous Hydration
Drinking a lot of water is not just important for the gut but can play a significant role in a child's dental health. It can perform the function of cleaning bacteria and assets from the mouth and keeping the breath fresh.
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Regular Dental Checkups
No one can give more accurate dental advice compared to a medical health professional. A doctor can easily detect genetic or acquired dental problems and advise probable solutions.
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Instilling a Sense of Routine
Educating the child about the pros of following a proper dental routine is important. Parents may introduce a good toothbrush, toothpaste, and flossing tool to their child. Additionally, parents may also encourage frequent gurgling and keeping their hands clean to avoid any bacterial infestation.
Conclusion
Maintaining optimal dental hygiene is not tough. It can be easily executed by keeping some simple rules in mind and ensuring consistency. Setting up a routine may make a child follow these habits naturally and develop a lifelong habit of maintaining their dental hygiene.
References
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8065731/
Pakhi’s deep interest in writing is influenced by her love for cinema and fiction books. Being a literature graduate, she is relentlessly inspired by different storytelling techniques to craft her work and bring a fresh perspective to the table. Having studied psychology, she also loves to explore various psychological insights related to kids’ and parents’ behavior to create engaging content pieces. Apart from that, she enjoys jamming to some great R&B music in her leisure time.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
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