Toothpaste: Herbal solutions and Tips for Children

Recent research has proven that gum disease and other dental problems are directly linked to life-threatening illness, such as heart disease. That’s why it’s crucial that parents teach their kids proper dental hygiene from an early age. Many parents opt for using toothpaste with herbal properties to avoid chemicals.

The time to begin is as soon as your baby is born. You won’t need a brush just yet, but use a damp cloth and cool water to wipe the gums after each meal or feeding. By doing this you’ll remove any plaque that has accumulated. (As a reminder, plaque is made up of mucus, food debris and bacteria. If not cleaned away regularly, it builds up, causing cavities and gum disease.) Continue cleaning with a damp cloth after your baby grows his first few teeth, and you can transition to a soft-bristled, baby toothbrush once several teeth have erupted.

By removing the plaque regularly, your baby or toddler will become accustomed to a clean, plaque-free mouth, making him more likely to brush later on in life, in order to keep the clean feeling. Also, the child becomes accustomed to an adult “messing with” her mouth. This will make it easier when teaching them to brush their own teeth, and also will help future visits to the dentist go more smoothly. Another key decay-preventing strategy is to avoid putting your baby to bed with a bottle of juice or milk.

Tooth decay occurs faster in children than in adults. Until they’re about 5 or 6 years old, most children don’t have the manual dexterity (or the experience) to brush their own teeth properly. Both of these factors make it essential that parents help their children by brushing their teeth for them. Make it fun by using colorful toothbrushes (battery-operated models are very popular with kids), tooth timers, plaque-revealing rinses and games, such as having the child brush a doll’s teeth first. Some additional guidelines include:

Don’t use more than a pea-sized dot of toothpaste. Larger amounts create too much foam, which can interfere with the brushing process.

Use toothpaste made especially for children. The mint, cinnamon and other flavorings in most adult toothpastes are too harsh for children, and usually will make them avoid brushing. .

Teach your child to spit out the extra toothpaste. Swallowing fluoride-containing toothpaste regularly can cause fluorosis, a condition in which permanent spots appear on the child’s teeth.

Lead by example. Children are much more likely to brush and floss if they see their parents doing it as well.

Begin flossing your child’s teeth by age 3 or 4. Don’t expect her to be able to floss on her own until she is 8 to 10 years old.

Take your baby for his first dental visit by age 3; earlier if he has any medical conditions that put him at risk for dental problems, such as Down Syndrome.

Follow up with regular dental visits. Depending on your dentist’s recommendation, you may want to consider having a sealant put on your child’s teeth. This is a plastic material applied to the teeth which hardens and provides a barrier against plaque and bacteria. This is typically done around 6 to 7 years of age, when the permanent molar teeth emerge.