What Are The Habits That Are Affecting Your Child’s Dental Health?

As a parent, taking care of a child’s teeth in optimal condition will be the top priority and concern, too. When it comes to taking care of oral health, it should begin as early as the first eruption of the tooth. It’s crucial to motivate dental health in children, like asking them to brush their teeth at least for 2 minutes twice daily.

But usually, kids develop improper oral habits along the way. These bad habits will destroy everything you taught your kid about oral care. Whenever you notice any signs of such behaviors, stop them at the beginning itself. Simply, shattering bad habits and developing healthy ones is key to maintaining your kid’s oral health. Further, in this blog, we will navigate you to what are the habits that are affecting dental health in children, and how you can avoid them.

What Are The Habits That Are Affecting Your Child’s Dental Health?

Any of the unhealthy oral habits can affect your child’s teeth. Some common habits that affect kids orally are biting nails, thumb sucking, opening covers using their teeth, eating hard candy and lollipops, and improper brushing technique. Further, let’s see some dental health in children in detail to avoid such bad habits and nurture your child’s oral health.

– Biting Fingernails:

Biting fingernails could chip or fracture dental health in children. When ignored, this habit can lead to enamel damage, which can also result in teeth grinding. Also, children who wear braces and biting fingernails are at higher risk of tooth loss. The best pediatric dentist in Coimbatore also says that nail-biting causes gum disease and infection as well.

The nails can be struck under the gums and can also scratch the gum tissues, then the germs will infect the gums. Simply, when biting nails, bacteria will enter the mouth and spread to other parts of the body, which will mainly affect the dental health in children.

– Chewing Pencils, And Pens:

While studying, some children, without realizing it, will bite pencils or pens. Just remember that the habit of chewing other things apart from food can be harmful to their teeth, to avoid cavities, just drink water after eating foods that affect dental health in children. Chewing pencil ends will introduce bacteria into the mouth which can lead to breaking their teeth or eroding the enamel, as a result, your kids will go through tooth pain.

– Eating Hard Candies, And Sugary Treats:

Typically, kids love to eat sweets, and they wish to eat them all the time. Eating hard candies and chewing sticky sweet treats can lead to a lack of dental health in children. B Some acids will be produced by these bacteria, which eat tooth enamel. Even when we resist kids from eating sweets, they will eat them, so just make sure that they brush their teeth not long after enjoying them to prevent dental health in children.

– Opening Bags And Packages Using Teeth:

Few kids will use their teeth to open the snack covers or other plastic packages. Sadly, using teeth like scissors can damage the dental health in children. Simply, if your kid has a practice of opening bags and packaging with their teeth, nib that habit in the bud and ask them to employ the actual scissors to open difficult packages.

– Thumb Sucking:

Often, kids suck their thumbs to make them feel comfortable. However, make your kid forget this habit before their permanent teeth arrive, just to prevent dental health in children. After some time, this habit can cause an overbite or disturb the natural alignment of teeth, which can lead to difficulty chewing and speaking. This could cause your child to need orthodontic dental health treatment in the future. The exact thing will happen when you allow your child to use a pacifier for a long time. So avoid giving pacifiers to your child before the age of one.

– Brushing Teeth Too Hard:

Always, parents ask their children to brush their teeth enthusiastically to enhance their dental health in children. Whereas, without proper guidance, children will brush their teeth too hard, which damages their teeth and gums. Your kid can use any kind of brush, but teach them to brush their teeth properly. Ensure that your child uses a soft-bristled toothbrush and they also brush their teeth gently.

– Often Drinking Sodas And Fruit Juices:

Apart from sweet treats, kids like to drink fruit juices and sodas. These beverages not only consist of sugar content but also acids, which affect the dental health in children. Often, consuming sodas and fruit juices can erode the enamel, and strip the natural protection offered by the teeth. This eroded dentin and enamel can cause sensitivity in your teeth while consuming hot or cold beverages.

– Skipping Dental Visits

Dentists play a significant role in maintaining your kid’s oral health. Every 6 months, schedule your dental appointment as necessary to prevent dental health in children. Dentists not only assist your kid with tooth decay, further, kids need teeth cleaning too. Apart from tooth cleaning and checkups, it paves the way for doctors to instruct children’s dental health habits to make them realize the significance of taking care of their teeth.

How To Rectify The Bad Oral Habits Followed By Your Kid?

Always, kids will follow what their parents are doing, so be a role model for your kids, notably when it comes to dental health in children. Breaking a bad habit can be quite challenging, but showing them good, healthy behavior can motivate them to be better. Simply forcing your kids to stop doing something won’t help you. Instead, educate them gently about the importance of maintaining dental health in children. Just visit the best dental hospital in Coimbatore.

Things to be remembered while dealing with your child:

• Coordinate with them in the process of breaking certain habits
• Introduce them to an alternative behavior. For instance, if your child has the habit of biting nails, give them something to chew like a carrot.
• Appreciate their positive behavior by praising or offering them small rewards.
• Never fail to reward and praise their good behavior.
• If your child has the habit of sucking their thumb while sleeping or watching TV, just distract them, like asking them for help in the kitchen or working on a craft.

Usually, breaking some habits may require lots of time, so work with your child constantly and patiently wait till they establish healthier behaviors just to prevent dental health in children.

Conclusion:

When your kid’s tooth sets in, you should set their dental health in motion. That is, you should initiate your dental practices for your kids as soon as possible, while you reinforce them from time to time. Simply, as a parent, maintaining dental health in children in optimal condition should be your priority. Further, it’s crucial to encourage your child to practice oral hygiene, like brushing twice daily. As mentioned above, those habits can harm the dental health in children. As a parent, it is important to promote your child’s oral health as your child grows, like learning how to keep their gums healthy and prevent decay. Simply, if your child is doing any of the mentioned habits, just try some alternative things to get them out of that habit.