10 Tips for Parents of Kids Who Resist Having Their Teeth Brushed

Chasing a defiant toddler around with a toothbrush is more likely to end in smears of toothpaste on the furniture and a tiny mouth that refuses to open than an effective lesson in oral hygiene. For parents that have attempted to plead, bargain, and even threaten their way into their child’s mouth with a toothbrush, here are ten hints and tips that might make the experience a more productive one. 

1. Model Good Oral Hygiene Habits – It’s no secret that children love to mimic the adults that they love and trust, so letting your child watch you brush your own teeth can be an effective way of encouraging them to form good oral hygiene habits as well.
2. Encourage Independence – While a toddler might not do the best job of brushing their teeth, they are generally quite talented when it comes to asserting their independence. Letting your child attempt to brush her own teeth will help her form the habit. Depending on your child’s individual temperament, it may also be easier to finish the job properly if you’ve allowed her to begin the task herself.
3. Make the Process Fun – Singing a silly song, making a point of brushing teeth to attack fictional “sugar bugs”, and maintaining a playful, upbeat attitude can make a world of difference when it comes to convincing your child to let you brush her teeth. Rather than fighting for dominance with a child that’s just learning to assert her independence, make it a point to keep the entire hygienic process as fun and exciting as possible.
4. Establish a Routine – When your child knows that brushing her teeth is part of her routine at certain points of each and every day, it will become progressively less difficult to handle. Keep in mind that introducing a change to the schedule you’ve previously established is almost always difficult in the beginning, and try to be patient until your little one adjusts.
5. Enlist Your Dentist’s Help – Whether she’s offering a plaque-disclosing rinse that turns your child’s teeth a different color until they’re brushed properly or simply advising you on the best methods of establishing an oral hygiene routine, your dentist is a great resource for all things related to your child’s oral health. Don’t be afraid to approach the subject of dealing with resistance to brushing teeth at your next visit, if you feel that the situation is not improving.
6. Let Kids Choose Their Own Toothbrush – While many parents shy away from commercially licensed products, a toothbrush with your child’s favorite princess, hero, heroine, or cartoon character may be just what she needs to get excited about brushing her teeth. Allowing her to choose her own toothbrush also gives your child a measure of control over the process, which can also make brushing her teeth less of a battle.
7. Consider a Xylitol Toothpaste – The naturally-occurring sugar alcohol xylitol is not only appealing to kids due to its sweetness, but is also recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry for cavity prevention in children due to its efficacy in preventing tooth decay. Using flavored toothpaste that features this helpful and appealing compound may make your little one more receptive to having her teeth brushed, especially if you let her choose a flavored brand.
8. Offer an Explanation – For some stubborn children, simply explaining why brushing their teeth is essential may be enough to convince them to relent. Harried parents often have a tendency to focus solely on accomplishing an unpleasant task, rather than providing the explanation for why it’s necessary to baffled kids. Talking about cavities and tooth decay in a way that your child will understand may help to end the struggle.
9. Use a Musical Timer – Making a game of brushing your child’s teeth by using a musical timer provides the fun aspect that kids are looking for, while also ensuring that little teeth get the attention they require for the prescribed amount of time.
10. Stay in Control of Your Temper – It’s easy to lose your temper when you’re forced to fight the same battle on a daily basis, but shouting at your child because she won’t comply is likely to make her dread having her teeth brushed even more. Try to be patient with your little one, and work through the initial rough patch.

Many parents opt to forgo the struggle of brushing kids’ baby teeth, reasoning that they’ll be falling out soon anyway. While this is essentially true, having dental work on baby teeth can be a traumatic experience and often requires the use of general anesthesia. Furthermore, the habits that you help them establish during toddlerhood and the preschool years will also determine how well they care for their permanent teeth when they get older and oral hygiene becomes more of their own responsibility.

P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Renee Gardner . I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

http://www.nannyneeded.org/blog/10-tips-for-parents-of-kids-who-resist-having-their-teeth-brushed/ 

Piercings: The Hidden Dangers

Many parents like to pierce their child’s ears while they’re still babies so that it’s out of the way while the child is too young to remember the pain, but that may not be the best option for your kids.  Before you take your little one in to get her ears pierced, you may want to consider some of the dangers associated with ear piercing.

For parents eager to get their baby’s ears pierced, the first place they may consider getting them done is at the mall. However, parents should use caution when visiting such a piercing site. Although the person piercing ears at the mall may have minimal piercing training, she is likely not a medical expert and the piercing conditions may be less sterile than desired.

Another common option for piercings is a tattoo parlor. While many tattoo parlors specialize in piercing, not all states regulate piercings in tattoo parlors.  You’ll want to check the licensing requirements of your state prior to visiting a tattoo parlor for a piercing.

Some pediatrician’s will pierce infants’ ears as part of their practice offerings. For parents considering piercing their baby’s ears, this is often the most hygienic place to have it done.

Regardless of where your baby gets her ears pierced, warnings should be given before the procedure and care instructions should be given after the procedure is completed. You’ll want to make sure that everything is sterile, that the piercer washes their hands before the procedure, and that they wear gloves.   If you have any concerns about the piercer or the place, don’t hesitate to go someplace else.  It’s not worth the risk.  If the instruments are not sterilized blood could transfer from one person to the other and HIV could be contracted.

Like adults, babies can get infections from pierced ears.  Babies can also be allergic to the metal that the earring is made of which could result in a rash, and they tend to explore their world with their hands, which could result in her grabbing at her ears. This could introduce bacteria to the piercing site.  Ear piercings, when infected, can disrupt your child’s sleep because it’s hard to find a comfortable place to lay her head.  Infection can also cause fevers. To prevent infection, parents should make sure to clean the earring and piercing site as directed.

When young children wish to get their ears pierced, timing should also be considered. Many sporting teams will not allow earrings to be worn on the field because they become a risk for the player with the piercing as well as other players.  Timing the piercing for a time when your child will have 4 weeks to leave the earrings in can avoid disruptions in athletic endeavors and reduce the risk of piercing problems.  Taking earrings out before the recommended time can cause the hole to close, infection, and pain when the earrings go back in, among other things.

Some adolescents and teenagers may dream of getting the upper part of their ears pierced. Piercing the upper cartilage of the ear hurts more than piercing the lobe.  The chance for infection in that area is higher than with an ear lobe piercing, and infections in the upper ear can result in nasty smelling puss being discharged, redness, and swelling.  The swelling can actually deform the ear permanently.  This infection is also typically harder to treat.

One of the most difficult piercing ideas for parents to swallow is the idea of piercing around and in the mouth. While tongue piercing seems to be popular among teens, there are some safety concerns regarding tongue piercings.  According to Dr. Hendry, complications of tongue piercing can include broken or chipped teeth, gum surgery, swallowing the bar which can result in the need for surgery, infection, long term pain, and possibly death. Lip piercing is somewhat safer than tongue piercing because there is less blood loss, but the back of the stud rubs on the gums, which can necessitate surgery in order to prevent tooth loss. These are serious complications that are worthy of in-depth discussion prior to a tongue or lip piercing decision being made.

For teens considering nose piercings, they should be well informed of the dangers associated with them. Nose piercings are dangerous because the nose’s primary function is to filter out germs and bacteria.  According to the AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) infection is the leading risk in nose piercings.  According to a study done at Rutgers and Texas Tech 46% of college students that got a body piercing had some problems with infection.  That’s almost 1 out of every 2 people so the odds are very high that those with nose piercings will encounter medical complications.

All body piercings come with risk for Hepatitis C, skin, blood, and bone infections, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).  This staph infection is resistant to antibiotics and very hard to treat.  If any pain, drainage, or swelling occurs seek medical attention as soon as possible.  There are some conditions that can be easily treated if caught early enough.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Debbie Denard,  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.nanny.net/blog/piercings-the-hidden-dangers/

Tips for Keeping Kids’ Teeth Healthy

How you take care of your child’s teeth now will determine what kind of smile they have when they are an adult.  When a child is born they already have their 20 baby teeth present under their gums.  Some babies are even born with teeth exposed or their teeth come in very early.  Every child is different.  The average age for a baby to start getting their teeth is 6 months.  By the age of 3 most children have all 20 of their baby teeth.

Babies can get cavities.  The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that you start cleaning your baby’s gums when they are just a few days old.  Dampen a square gauze pad or a soft wash cloth and rub gently across your baby’s gums.  When teeth start to appear use a child’s size toothbrush and water to brush your baby’s teeth.  As soon as your child turns 2, start brushing with a pea sized amount of toothpaste and have your child spit it out when done.  You’ll want to ask your dentist or pediatrician if you should use fluorinated or non fluorinated toothpaste. This will depend on if your child is able to spit, if your tap water is fluorinated and if you give your child fluoride supplements. Parents should continue brushing their child’s teeth twice a day until she can take over the brushing on her own, which is usually around age 6 or 7. As soon as she has two teeth that touch you will need to help her floss her teeth daily.

ADA recommends that you take your child to the dentist around their first birthday.  After their initial visit you can ask your dentist how often you should bring her back.  This visit is to allow your child to start getting familiar with going to the dentist.  Your dentist will inspect her mouth and make sure everything is healthy and to check for cavities.  The dentist will clean her teeth and make any suggestions to you regarding caring for her teeth and gums.

Cavities can be caused by bacteria transferred by saliva from the mother’s mouth.  For this reason it is not recommended that you clean your baby’s pacifier by putting it into your mouth or that you eat off of your baby’s spoon during feeding time.

Baby teeth are important because they hold spaces for the permanent teeth.  If a baby tooth is lost too early the permanent teeth can drift into the open space and then come in crooked.  Your dentist will use a spacer to hold open the spot where the baby tooth was lost if it is lost too early.

The proper technique for brushing is to hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to the gums and brush back and forth covering each tooth.  Brush all surfaces of the teeth.  Your child should brush her teeth for 2 minutes.  Flossing should be done once a day.  Make sure to brush her tongue to remove bacteria and to get rid of bad breath.  Tooth brushes should be replaced as soon as the bristles start to fray or every 3 months.  It’s also a good idea to replace your child’s tooth brush if she has been ill.  Rinsing with a fluoride rinse at the end of brushing is also a way to prevent cavities, should your child’s dentist recommend doing so.

As soon as your child has molars the dentist may put a sealant on them.  The sealant fills up the crevices on the surface of the teeth that are more likely to get a cavity.  It does not hurt to get sealant put on your teeth and it is often covered by dental insurance.  Your dentist will also give your child a fluoride treatment during their exam, but this treatment is optional.

Your child’s diet can affect the health of her teeth. Even watered down fruit juice is bad for your child’s teeth. Water should be offered instead of sugary beverages.  Sticky foods like fruit snacks or raisins can also have negative effects on your child’s teeth. Once your child has brushed her teeth in the morning, when she drinks or eats afterwards have her rinse her mouth with water a few times. She should avoid eating after she’s brushed her teeth for the night.

To keep your child’s teeth and body healthy it’s important that they are eating a healthy diet.  According to MyPlate, which is the new food pyramid, fruits and vegetables should make up half of your child’s diet.  At least half of the grains that she consumes need to be whole grain.  Proteins should be lean when possible, eggs, beans, chicken breast, lean beef and fish.  Dairy is very important to build strong teeth and bones, but make sure you are choosing low-fat dairy options.

For babies, avoid putting anything other than milk, breast milk, or formula into a bottle.  Never put a child to bed with a bottle.  This can cause bottle rot or baby bottle tooth decay, which is very damaging to young teeth.  This condition usually only affects the front teeth, but has been known to affect other teeth.  Encourage your child to drink out of a regular cup by their first birthday.  Extended use of sippy cups is also not recommended.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Jacqui Barrie. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.aupairjobs.com/articles/tips-for-keeping-kids-teeth-healthy/