Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Winter 2003)
TOPIC: Brush up! Early & often is best when it comes to cleaning your child's mouth
 
by karin meyer

Think back to when you were a kid: Was brushing your teeth fun and games?

Maybe not, but it could – and should – be.

Brushing can be fun for children. And for you, the parent, it may mean one less night of your kid kicking and screaming while you’re trying to jam a toothbrush in his mouth.
Easier said than done? Take a tip from Sara Ingraham. After meals, she and her 3-year-old son are off to the bathroom to scrub “sugar bugs” from their teeth. The little one does his best to brush away the “bugs,” then Mom checks for ones he’s missed – like back by those hard-to-reach back teeth. It helps, too, that he’s using his favorite toothbrush.

Mission accomplished.

Making a game out of brushing your child’s teeth is one way parents can get the job done with the least resistance, says Ingraham, a dental health educator at the Health District of Northern Larimer County.

“A lot of parents think, ‘We’ll start brushing when the permanent teeth come in,’ ” she says.

What many adults don’t realize is oral care needs to start long before teeth arrive, Ingraham says. Cleaning a baby’s gums with a finger or washcloth gets the infant used to having something in the mouth and paves the way for brushing down the road.
making it fun

• Let children pick out their own toothbrush or surprise them with fun toothbrushes.
• Make a game out of it: You can both brush at the same time. Then you can brush your child’s teeth to get the sugar bugs that were missed. Your child gets to brush yours.
• Find fun songs that last about 2 minutes and brush to music together.
• Find a timer (like the kind that come with board games) and set it for 2 minutes each time your child brushes.
• Reward children with a book before bedtime when they brush.
• Give children your undivided attention each time you brush their teeth. Talk to them about their day and make up stories or silly riddles to pass the time.
• Set a good example by brushing your teeth twice a day. Kids like to do what they see others do.

good habits

Formula, milk, juice and breast milk cause cavities when left in a child's mouth. For that reason:
• Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle. If you must do so, fill the bottle with plain water.
• Wean your baby from the bottle by age 1 and begin offering a “sippy” cup at 6 months. Offer water when your child is thirsty. Limit milk and juice to mealtimes.

did you know?

The Health District received a three-year, $90,489 grant from the Caring for Colorado Foundation. The funds are being used to prevent early childhood caries by educating parents about proper feeding techniques and good oral health.

Once a child’s baby teeth start popping up, they need care. Sure, they’ll eventually be replaced by permanent teeth, but for the time being, they have a big job to do. They help children chew their food and pronounce words. They help them smile and build confidence.

Between the ages of 2 and 6, kids will need their parents’ help with brushing. Fluoride toothpaste can be used once the child can spit it out.

David McWilliams knows all about not wanting to brush. As an adult, he’s not happy with his mouth. As a parent, he doesn’t want his 4-year-old daughter to follow in his footsteps. He’s trying to make brushing a priority with her but knows it will take that – and more. Alex likes to “graze” on food throughout the day, which Dad has learned is hard on her teeth.

“Every time you eat – even things like carrots – you create acid in your mouth that attacks teeth,” Ingraham explains to parents at a HeadStart presentation in Wellington.

Elidia Aceves is hoping that setting a sand timer or letting her 4- and 7-year-old daughters brush till the end of a song they like will get them to brush longer.

But getting a child to brush is just part of the equation. Brushing needs to start with parents, says Dr. Dennis Lewis, the dentist who oversees the Health District’s Family Dental Clinic. Adults who don’t brush or have lots of cavities have higher levels of streptococcus mutans, a cavity-causing bacteria, in their mouths. The bacteria are passed from adult to child through close contact.
“Kids learn by watching you, so set a good example by brushing and flossing your own teeth,” says Ingraham.