Today marks Ariah’s 30th month of life…or as my husband says, she is 2.5. Coincidently, she also had her bi-annual dental exam and she rocked it! I’m so proud of how well she does when she visits the dentist’s office. She is usually apprehensive at first about the x-ray machine but once it’s compete, the rest of the visit is smooth sailing.
I’m often asked how I get her to do so well while in the exam chair. I’m also asked how I managed to prevent either one of the girls from having cavities. Here are a few of my tips:
- share the legacy- neither my husband or I have ever had a cavity in any of our teeth (he’s 42 and I’m 36). We both share a common value for dental hygiene and we convey the importance for good oral healthcare to our girls.
- regular office visits- each member of the family goes to our appointments twice a year and additional visits if required. This gets them in the practice of visiting a dentist and making it a part of their health and wellness routine.
- daily brush schedule- we engage in twice-a-day brush sessions. During that time, we work on brushing our teeth front to back, up and down, as well as the tongue. We make it fun by adding a timer, singing songs, and taking turns between them and a parent.
- start early- I began brushing their gums when they were infants. I used a gentle gum cleaner that would go in my fingertip. This gave me the opportunity to clean sugars, food, and milk off of their gums while also massaging them when their teeth were coming in.
- refrain from sleeping with a bottle- I wouldn’t allow them to go to sleep with a bottle or juice cup in their mouth. This prevented sugar and milk from decaying their teeth.
Check out a few more tips from the professionals. Click here to read more about taking care of your kiddos’ teeth.
Click here to see the video of her visit.
Even though we go through great lengths to protect our girls’ teeth, this doesn’t mean extreme situations are completely prevented. Take it from me…accidents happen. For example, they may fall and knock their front teeth loose causing them to fall out prematurely…literally…like our oldest daughter did. That’s another story for another day!
Until next time,
Xoxo