According to a recent BBC News article, “A survey by Public Health England has revealed that one in 10 three-year-olds has tooth decay. Toddlers had an average of three teeth that were decayed, missing or filled. What can parents do to reduce the risks?” That is a pretty hefty number — One in every 3 year old! Having decay at such a young age is not something that is fun/easy to deal with nor is it cheap unfortunately.
There are countless ways that parents can try to prevent excessive decay in their toddlers, but the main message from all of these tips listed below is to really try to help their kids/toddlers form good habits from the start! Try to enforce healthy eating habits from the beginning. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is. And by that time, decay can be on its way. Not to mention, their dental work will become more harmful to their bodies and oral health once their adult teeth are in!
Check out the tips below that we gathered from the BBC News article as well as from having 30 years of dental experience!
- Try to avoid sweetened beverages and food with sugar in between meals (restrict them to MEALS ONLY).
- Offer them healthy snacks such as: popcorn, nuts, dried fruit, carrot sticks, cucumber slices,
- Best drinks for under age threes: MILK AND WATER.
- Brush teeth twice a day (morning and night)
- Try to stop breastfeeding at around 12 months. One-year olds should be able to hold a cup!
- Use on sugar free medicines
- If they are having sweets (candy or super sugary foods), have them rinse with water immediately after they have some!
We hope you enjoyed these and found them helpful!