Does Pacifier and Thumb Sucking Harm Your Child’s Teeth?
Toddlers and infants usually suck their thumbs and a pacifier for self-soothing. But did you know that they may hinder the healthy growth of your little one’s mouth? The severity of damage usually relies on how harshly the kid sucks the pacifier or thumb.
Although the majority of kids give up this habit when they get in between the age group of 2 – 4, few need help. Usually, aggressive sucking leads to issues with primary teeth and changes in biting. It further results in misaligned and crooked teeth. It signifies more expensive dental procedures later on.
How Do I Make My Child’s Diet Safe for His Teeth?
What your kid consumes has a direct impact on dental health. Health professionals agree that kids require food from every major food group to develop properly and stay healthy. Below are the tips for selecting healthy food for better health of your kid’s teeth:
1. Avoid Too Many Carbs, Sugary and Savory Foods
Did you know carbohydrates can stay on teeth is the primary reason behind tooth decay? Consuming too many carbs, savory foods, and sugary foods and beverages leads to tooth decay.
Instead, provide healthy food choices to your children multiple times because they are less likely to cause cavities. You can purchase foods that are unsweetened or sugar-free.
Raisins, granola bars, dried figs, peanut butter cookies stick to teeth. It makes it hard for the saliva to wash away. Also, if you are planning to offer your little one any sugary treat, choose desserts.
2. Provide Veggies and Fruits as Healthy Snacks
Pick vegetables and fruits as healthy snacks. Prefer the ones with a high volume of water like celery, cucumbers, pears, etc.
3. Restrict Raisins and Bananas
Limit the consumption of raisins and bananas because they have concentrated sugar. Also, ask your kid to brush immediately when they have them.
4. Serve Cheese as a Snack or Lunch
Swiss, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and other aged cheese varieties increase the saliva flow. It rinses food bits away from teeth.
5. Add Good Sources of Calcium
To build robust teeth, try adding calcium-rich sources in your kid’s diet like yogurt, broccoli, milk, etc.
6. Prefer Sugar-Free or Xylitol-Sweetened Gum
If your little one has a habit of chewing gum, select sugar-free or xylitol-sweetened gum. Xylitol lowers the bacteria level and chewing enhances the saliva flow in the mouth.
7. Fill Bedtime Bottle with Plain Water
If your kid asks for a bottle before sleeping, avoid putting juice, formula, soda, or milk in it. Rather, choose normal water. Water does not cause any teeth damage and helps rinse away food particles stuck to teeth.
8. Hold the Spices
Try to serve food to your children that have fewer spices. It’s because few consider the mild flavors too hot.
9. Stop Frequent Snacking
Avoid frequent snacking in your kids – more than one or two a day. It’s because constant snacking without brushing offers continual feed to mouth bacteria. It results in decay and plaque development. In that case, the dentist suggests dental sealants to protect your kid’s mouth.
How Safe Are Dental X-Rays?
With the help of X-rays, a dentist in Phoenix, AZ identifies gum diseases, cavities, and other dental issues which are invisible with the naked eyes.
Dental X-rays are safer for children. They will usually expose the little ones to low levels of radiation. So, the risk of facing deadly effects is low.
Moreover, the majority of dental experts comply with new pediatric guidelines for X-rays by FDA. They indicate that you need to optimize medical X-ray examinations to utilize the low radiation dose.
Remember, kids with zero cavities and adequately spaced baby teeth do not require X-rays regularly. That is why sticking to excellent oral hygiene is essential. On the other hand, older kids with a low risk of cavities need dental X-rays between 18 months – 3 years. However, those that are more prone to it need them more often.
X-ray machines usually utilize a single radiation beam instead of scattered beams to enhance safety. The beam is limited to the film shape and size. Furthermore, dental X-rays have a small exposure time. It means the radiations do not affect any body part of kids X-rayed.
Improve Your Kid’s Oral Health Today
Fluoride treatments at Dental By Design can help in enhancing the oral health of your little one. For more data, contact the dental professionals now.
