People are susceptible to tooth decay or gum disease throughout their entire lives. However, children are especially vulnerable because their teeth are softer, newer, and less strong.  Although taking your child to a Nashville dentist on a regular basis is very important, it’s also important for parents to follow certain guidelines to protect their children’s teeth. There are several things that parents should do while their children are young in order to keep their children’s teeth healthy and strong.

A child’s diet when they are young is the number one determining factor of whether he or she will have healthy teeth.  Parents should be conscious about the types of food that they are feeding their children when they are young.  Healthy, whole foods not only keep your child’s body healthy, but they are keep your child’s teeth strong and cavity-free.  Only allow your child to eat sugar seldom, such as during a special occasion or holiday. Too many carbohydrates can also be damaging to a child’s teeth as most of them contain sugar as well.  Instead, feed your children food that is high in protein and vitamins.  Fruits, vegetables, eggs, and milk are the healthiest foods for your child.

Although many parents want to give their child the freedom to brush their own teeth when they are very young, this is not a good idea.  This is one of the biggest mistakes that a Nashville dentist will see. Most children cannot properly clean their own teeth until they are about 6 years old.  Until then, brush your child’s teeth for them.  Once they are old enough to do a good job on their own, supervise them at first.

A lot of babies and toddlers go to sleep better when they are given a bottle of milk or juice before bed.  However, this is not good for their teeth.  When a child falls asleep drinking something sugary, it will rot their teeth over time and they will have unhealthy teeth for many years to come.  Avoid this type of habit if at all possible.

Lastly, do not put a sugary substance on your child’s binky before giving it to them.  Many parents make this mistake when weaning the child off of the mother. They do this in order to entice the child to want to the binky over the mother.  Putting honey or another sugary liquid on the binky will have extremely damaging effects on the child’s teeth as they begin to grow in over time.