Does Your Child have these Bad Dental Habits?
Children need to be taught the importance of dental hygiene from an early age, because if they don’t look after their teeth, by the time they realize the damage they have caused, it will be too late. As a parent, you can help your child get out of dental habits that can potentially cause various serious dental issues as your child reaches adulthood.
4 Bad Habits Your Child Needs to Stop Now
Thumb Sucking
When children suck their thumbs, they place pressure on their mouths, gums and teeth. This constant pressure can cause their new adult teeth to be misaligned. Sucking their thumb can even cause deformities to the roof of your child’s mouth.
Brushing Too Hard
Children need to brush well and firmly, but not hard. Brushing too hard will irritate the gums, which can cause them to recede, and can cause ‘railway tracks’ on your teeth. These tracks are groves that are left by the bristles of your toothbrush. Signs of aggressive brushing are if your toothbrush bristles are splayed and worn down. Bristles should only lightly brush against teeth and gums without causing redness.
High Sugar Consumption
Too much sugar is bad for your diet, but it can be even worse for your teeth. Constantly exposing your teeth to destructive sugars, such as those found in carbonated drinks, feeds harmful bacteria and causes plaque to be produced in the mouth at a much quicker rate. Without proper dental hygiene, this plaque then turns into difficult to remove tartar, which can cause tooth and gum decay.
Biting and Chewing Foreign Objects
Children put lots of things in their mouth. It’s one of the ways they learn. The only problem arises if they retain the habit once their adult teeth come in. Chewing on pencils or toys can damage past dental work and crack or chip teeth. Constantly doing this can wear down teeth and make them more susceptible to damage and decay.
If your child has any of the above habits, contact Four Seasons Dental for an appointment. Our friendly Millcreek office staff will be able to advise you and your child on how to break these bad habits and maintain good dental health.
