What does eating your veggies and brushing your teeth have in common? They can both be difficult to get your kids to do!

If you’re having a bit of a hard time getting your kids to brush their teeth, then you’re not alone! This is very common especially amongst young children in that 3-8 age group.

Here are some tips on how to get your kids to brush their teeth.

1. Get them to copy you.

Kids love doing anything their parents do. Get the same colour toothbrush then start by standing side by side in the mirror. Get started early, work together to get a routine.

2. Get the fun kids toothpaste or let them choose their own.

If Dora The Expolorer or The Wiggles will make your kids smile bright, then so be it!

3. Make A Game Out Of It

For most people brushing your teeth for 2 minutes is a good minimum amount of time. So create a game to see who can make the most bubbles.

4. Positive Reinforcement

Give them compliments for good oral care. Encourage them through insentives such as stickers. This will lay the foundation for a life long tooth care routine.

 

Sugar filled drinks are one of the most significant factors in severity of dental erosion, according to a new study published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry.

Dental erosion is a form of tooth wear and is a common oral condition, particularly amongst children. It is defined as the irreversible damage in tooth structure due to a chemical dissolution by acids.

During the process of  decay, the person will lose mineral content and the teeth will become softer. This happens when we eat or drink something acidic. Most people would be surprised about how much of the food and drink we consume is highly acidic. Luckily, this acidity is counteracted by our saliva that is naturally working to balance out the acidity in our mouth.

Children are particularly susceptible to tooth decay as their mouths are still maturing. Based on this, water and milk are much healthier options than juices and soft drinks not only for their oral health but for your children’s overall health.

 

 

For more info, head over to Medical News Today.

Cheers

Linda

Practice Manager 

Don’t let the name fool you, there is nothing wise about Wisdom Teeth!

Wisdom teeth are rear back teeth that usually come through for people in their late teens to mid twenties.

Sometimes these teeth can cause problems such as gum infections because there is not enough space for them, or because they are on an angle.

Therefore, it is usually best to have problem wisdom teeth taken out sooner rather than later.

Signs and Symptoms

• inflamed gums near the wisdom tooth
• pain
• swelling
• pus coming from the gum
• the lymph glands under the jaw become swollen and sore
• it may become painful to open the mouth and to swallow

Treatment

If you have an infection as a result of your wisdom teeth, this will need to be treated with anti-biotics.

However this will not fix the problem long term. In this case the wisdom teeth will most likely need to be removed.

To have your wisdom teeth removed, you will need to have an x-ray for further assessment of the problem. For best results, get this done as soon as you experience symptoms. If this is left too late, the procedure can be more complicated as the roots are fully formed.

 

Cheers

Linda

Practice Manager