{"id":203591,"date":"2019-07-25T04:58:51","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T04:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dental.dev\/omahapds\/?p=203591"},"modified":"2019-07-25T04:58:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T04:58:51","slug":"dental-care-tips-and-checklist-for-toddlers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/dental-care-tips-and-checklist-for-toddlers\/","title":{"rendered":"Dental Care Tips and Checklist for Toddlers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-203592 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mllubezel1yn.i.optimole.com\/cb:jgqb.238c1\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/dental.dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/checklist-toddlers-infographic.jpg\" alt=\"Dental Care Tips and Checklist for Toddlers\" width=\"1200\" height=\"4021\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Toddlers are typically too young to brush their teeth effectively by themselves, but parents should start teaching their kids good oral care habits at this age.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brush your toddler\u2019s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a child-sized toothbrush. Using fun toothpaste flavors, like bubblegum or orange, is a great way to get them excited about brushing!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use only a small amount of toothpaste, about the size of a single English pea.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make a game of teeth brushing to prepare your child for brushing on their own in the future. Playing a two-minute song or singing a nursery rhyme to them as they brush are other fun possibilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Begin flossing your toddler\u2019s teeth as soon as at least two adjacent teeth have erupted. Consider using fun-flavored dental floss to make the experience more enjoyable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every child needs to have their first dental visit by their first birthday. Follow the schedule set by your pediatric dentist for subsequent visits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Baby teeth are important, and tooth decay can be painful and distressing to toddlers. So, limit sugary foods and treats to help prevent tooth decay.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nidcr.nih.gov\/research\/data-statistics\/dental-caries\/children#dental-caries-in-primary-baby-teeth-prevalence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Institutes of Health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, 27.9% of American children ages two to five years have at least one cavity in their baby teeth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Calcium-rich foods, like cheese and milk, help toddlers form strong teeth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fruit juice may sound healthy, but it\u2019s full of sugar. Water is a much healthier alternative. Avoid sodas altogether.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never let your toddler go to bed with a beverage other than water. Otherwise, harmful bacteria can damage their teeth overnight.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A diet rich in vegetables is good for your toddler\u2019s teeth, as well as their overall health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aafp.org\/afp\/2009\/0415\/p681.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">American Academy of Family Physicians<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> says pacifiers are fine for infants but should not be given to children older than six months. Prolonged pacifier use can lead to misaligned teeth and even jaw problems, a condition called pacifier teeth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The risk of pacifier teeth increases with age. Children over four years old are most prone to this problem. If you\u2019re having trouble getting your child to stop using a pacifier, ask your pediatric dentist for help.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thumb sucking can also cause dental problems and is not a good alternative to pacifier use. In addition to misaligned teeth, thumb sucking can also introduce harmful bacteria to your child\u2019s mouth and may contribute to the spread of colds and other illnesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To help break a pacifier habit, praise your child for refraining from a pacifier. You may consider rewarding them with stickers or fun activities. Don\u2019t use sweets as a reward.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Young children require professional dental care tailored to their needs, so consider a pediatric dental practice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fluoride treatments are crucial for preventing cavities among toddlers and are completely safe and painless. Ask your child\u2019s dentist about fluoride treatments, particularly if your drinking water is not fluoridated. About 75% of municipal water sources in the U.S. add fluoride. You can contact your local water board to find out if your tap water is fluoridated.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toddlers are typically too young to brush their teeth effectively by themselves, but parents should start teaching their kids good oral care habits at this age. Brush your toddler\u2019s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a child-sized toothbrush. Using fun toothpaste flavors, like bubblegum or orange, is a great way to get them&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":203593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[20,21,22],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203591"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203591\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omaha.mypediatricdentalspecialists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}