Oral Health
There are a number of problems that affect the oral health of children, including tooth decay, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, lip sucking and early tooth loss. Even though baby teeth are eventually replaced with permanent teeth, keeping baby teeth healthy is important to a child’s overall health and wellbeing.
Poor oral health can lead to pain, infections, altered sleep and eating patterns, school absence and decreased wellbeing.
Prolonged use of bottles or sippy cups containing sugary liquids are a factor in poor oral health along with inadequate brushing. Falling asleep with a bottle increases the risk of tooth decay.
Supervised tooth brushing with a daily application of fluoride toothpaste reduces the incidence and severity of tooth decay. Brushing twice a day is recommended.
The Family Hub can provide further materials on this subject. It can also provide an oral health improvement champion who can supervise some fun toothbrushing sessions for your child in the Hub.
Look out for the Big Brush Club – coming to the Hub on a regular basis!
Some children are more inclined to enjoy brushing their teeth with a mild electric toothbrush.