It is important for parents to begin teaching their children from the beginning about the importance of dental health. Why? Tooth decay is the most common chronic illness in children and it highly preventable. Decay can negatively affect a child’s quality of life, their social development and self-esteem. Here are more fascinating children dental health facts.
Dental Decay
Tooth decay is the number one reason behind children being hospitalised in the UK. Nearly half of eight year-olds show visible signs of tooth decay too. The startling thing is, this dental disease can easily be prevented. Children must brush their teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and visit their local dentist regularly to avoid decay.
Healthy Drinks Aren’t So Healthy
It is important to check the sugar content in some pre-packaged healthy drinks and fruit juices, because they may just include more teeth-rotting sugar than a can of fizzy pop. An easy fix is to swap out fizzy drinks and juices for milk and water regularly, to keep those teeth decay-free.
The Tooth Fairy
Baby or milk teeth begin to come through in infants when they are between six and 12 months old. Children will have a full set of 20 baby teeth by the time they are three years old. These teeth will then begin to fall out when children are five or six to make way for adult teeth. That is when the tooth fairy is called in.
Smile Situation
Unfortunately, 31 percent of 12 to 15 year olds in the UK are embarrassed to smile and laugh. This is detrimental to a child’s self-confidence. More girls are dissatisfied with their teeth too compared to boys. Help your child feel confident by visiting your local dental practice and speaking to the friendly dentist. They will most certainly have your child positively smiling again.
Children and their teeth surprisingly go through a lot in the early years. It is important to start an oral hygiene routine as soon as possible, to ensure every child is smiling healthily and confidently.