It’s never too early for fogeys and guardians of young children to explore best practices about dental hygiene and prevention strategies against dental damage.

Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is one of the common childhood chronic diseases. Dr. Stephen Mitchell, associate professor and pediatric dentist within the UAB School of Dentistry, said parents play an important role in protecting children’s smiles. Mitchell recommends constructing a powerful foundation for good dental hygiene by helping children maintain a balanced weight loss program, brushing and flossing every day and ensuring regular dental checkups.

Maintain dental hygiene

Mitchell said brushing within the morning and before bed is essential for maintaining oral health.

“Once we sleep, our mouths dry, allowing bacteria referred to as plaque to grow. We wish to brush away as much plaque off the teeth before bed as possible,” he said.

Proper brushing should concentrate on where the teeth and gums come together.

“That is where the bacteria prefer to hide,” Mitchell said. “Often, you’ll need to tug the lower lip down so you may get the toothbrush all of the method to the gums of the lower teeth.”

Mitchell recommends that oldsters oversee brushing until the kid develops mature hand-eye coordination, which is essential to effective brushing.

“Most kids should not able to brush independently until 6 to 7 years of age,” Mitchell said. “Before that, let the kid practice brushing; but then go behind them to essentially get the teeth clean.”

One other essential practice is flossing, advisable no less than once a day. “A toothbrush cannot reach between the teeth, so floss is the one method to remove bacteria between the teeth,” Mitchell said.

Prevent tooth decay

Dental decay is a chronic disease that happens over an extended time, partially due to constant exposure to treats. Managing consumption of sugary foods is essential in stopping tooth decay.

“While brushing and flossing will help prevent tooth decay, the very best method to prevent tooth decay is to limit the variety of sugary foods your child eats every day,” Mitchell said. “People often connect candy to tooth decay, but sweet drinks, like juice, sodas and flavored milks, appear to cause more cavities in my patients.”

Regular scheduled dental checkups can keep your child’s teeth healthy and exquisite. (Getty Images)

Limiting sugar consumption is crucial step parents can take to scale back the danger of decay.

“Candy carefully isn’t a foul thing,” Mitchell said. “Sticky and sour candies that stay within the mouth an extended time are inclined to be the riskiest, while chocolate that melts away quickly tends to do the smallest amount of harm to the teeth. But, if parents want to essentially reduce cavity risk, reduce sweet drinks.”

Sucralose, stevia or aspartame don’t cause cavities, so one other method to reduce the danger of developing cavities is switching to drinks with these kinds of sweeteners.

Reply to dental trauma immediately

Dental trauma is physical injury to the teeth, gums, the bone that holds the tooth sockets or the soft tissue of the mouth, including the lips and tongue.

While playing sports, equivalent to softball or baseball, the danger for dental trauma is high. Mitchell and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends using a mouthguard in all sports.

If a baby has a dental injury, call a dentist immediately. If a everlasting tooth is knocked out, time is critical.

“If the tooth may be put back in under half-hour, there’s a greater likelihood of an excellent end result,” he said. “Placing the tooth immediately into milk extends the time considerably.”

This story originally appeared on the UAB News website.