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Before I go too far into the healthcare or phobia wilds, here are some tips from Jesse Hughes on dental health (p.s. I've been using too much toothpaste):
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Taking care of
your teeth is vital. You need to start paying attention to dental hygiene from
a very early age. A
major part of dental hygiene is dental cleaning. This is why you need to
teach your child about the importance of keeping their mouth and teeth clean.
You should also act as a good example by making sure you follow an effective
dental hygiene routine.
Toothpaste plays
an important part in oral hygiene but you may not be aware of exactly how much
toothpaste you should be using. We are going to explain why using too much toothpaste
is not a good idea. We are also going to take a look at when you should start
using toothpaste to clean your child’s teeth and how their tooth cleaning
should progress.
Using toothpaste to clean a
child’s teeth
If your child is
yet to get any teeth then it’s not necessary to use a toothbrush to clean
their mouth; all that you need to do is use a washcloth and some water.
This helps to remove bacteria from their gums.
Once your child
has teeth an age appropriate toothbrush should be used. It’s only necessary to
add a small smear of infant toothpaste to the brush. If you use too much
toothpaste your child is more likely to swallow it. Once your child reaches 2-3 years of age you
should change the amount of toothpaste used; you should squeeze a pea sized
amount onto your child’s toothbrush.
It’s important
to note that until your child is around six years of age you will need to either
brush their teeth or provide a high level of assistance. Once they reach the
age of six most children can brush their own teeth, although you may still need
to provide some supervision to make sure that the task is completed
successfully.
How much toothpaste should an
adult use?
It may surprise
you to learn that the amount of toothpaste needed to brush your teeth does not
increase from when you are a toddler; a pea sized amount is sufficient. If you
use more toothpaste than this it can act as an abrasive against your teeth and
gums.
It’s also worth
noting that you need to brush your teeth for around two minutes if they are to
be cleaned effectively. It’s very difficult to do this if you have to put up
with a mouthful of toothpaste for that length of time; constantly having to
spit out excess toothpaste does not make for an efficient cleaning session.
You can see how
important it is for you to start cleaning your child’s mouth and teeth from an
early age. You should also make sure that you explain the process to your child
so that they become aware of how important a good oral hygiene routine is. This
helps them to take care of their teeth effectively as they grow up, and
throughout their life.
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What about you? Any dental phobia?
And have you been using the correct amount of toothpaste?
And have you been using the correct amount of toothpaste?