Dental expert offers advice for parents
Dental expert, Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, has offered tips and advice for parents.
Dr Carter has outlined three key points for improving oral health in the family; firstly, Dr Carter advised parents to supervise their children so that they ensure that kids brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day. Brushing twice a day will help to remove plaque and bacteria from the mouth, which will help to reduce the risk of oral health conditions, including gum disease and decay, developing.
Dr Carter also advised parents to keep an eye on their child’s diet; in recent years, the consumption of sweets, biscuits, fast food and fizzy drinks has increased significantly and this has had a huge impact on children’s oral health. Eating sugary and acidic foods increases the risk of acid erosion and decay and dentists and paediatricians have reported seeing children as young as two years old with extensive decay. Sweets and other sugary foods should be a treat rather than forming part of a child’s daily diet.
The final piece of advice was to take children for regular dental check-ups; taking children to see their dentist from an early age helps to prevent oral health problems, as well as enabling children to get used to the sights and sounds of the dental surgery; this will help to reduce the risk of dental anxiety in the future.
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A million thanks for posting this ifnoramiotn.