It is important to take care of your child’s teeth, even though they are the primary teeth, as much as it is important to care for permanent teeth. This is because any oral hygiene issues will also affect the gums, which are important for the permanent teeth to be healthy.

When a child loses a primary tooth due to reasons like decay, the extent of damage can also affect the healthy development of the permanent tooth. It is for these reasons that you must follow accurate gum care tips for better oral health, irrespective of your age. Mentioned in this article are some key practices you should follow with your child’s dental hygiene:

• Always wipe a baby’s gums with a warm, wet cloth even before their teeth form. This will ensure that they are trained into the routine of teeth cleaning, and it will also remove any sugar sediments that might otherwise cause trouble to the gums.
• When you leave a sippy cup with a baby before they go to bed, you are essentially making room for tooth decay. This is because the sugars from milk or juices can end up clogging the gums and can cause decay.
• Another gum care tip for better oral health is to stop the use of bottles as the baby turns one and get them started on sippy cups.
• Train a toddler to drink sips of water in between meals so that no sediment remains on the gum, and only give them juice or milk at these times.
• The minute the baby starts growing teeth, you need to get started with the practice of brushing them with a soft baby toothbrush at least twice a day. Do not add too much toothpaste as you would with an adult. Instead, you can use fluoride toothpaste equal in amount to a grain of rice and not more. For children between the ages of 3 and 6, you can use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to ensure dental hygiene.
• It is best if the parents or caregivers ensure that they brush the teeth of the children regularly until they are able to do it for themselves thoroughly without much help. However, before you leave them on their own, you should supervise them for a short while so that they brush correctly and also spit out the toothpaste instead of eating it.
• Never allow a child to over-brush or use too much toothpaste. Such activities can end up causing trouble to the gums or can weaken them.
• Despite all these measures,taking your child for a periodic visit to the dentist at least once every 6 months is an important gum care tip for better oral health.
• It is also important that, as an adult, you do not share eating utensils or try to clean any of the child’s things that they put in their mouths because you could spread the bacteria from your mouth to theirs. This can prove to be detrimental to their gum health.