February plays host to a vital moment in the dental calendar: Children\u2019s Dental Health Month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dental health is important no matter what age you are, but getting kids started early can help prevent cavities, build good habits and help keep smiles healthy for life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Children should start visiting the dentist from the moment their first tooth appears or by age two (whichever comes first), and once they do, it\u2019s the start of a long and significant journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why healthy teeth matter (and what to tell your kids)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re reading this, you probably don\u2019t need convincing of the importance of healthy teeth. Your five-year-old? That might be a different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Educating kids on just how big a role their teeth will play in their lives is a vital first step, so in case you need a cheat sheet when you\u2019re trying to convince them to brush properly, here goes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Healthy teeth help children:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Eat and chew properly<\/strong>, making it easier to enjoy a healthy, balanced diet<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Speak clearly<\/strong>, supporting proper speech development<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Feel confident when they smile<\/strong>, which helps with self-esteem and social skills<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Stay healthy overall<\/strong>, as dental problems can affect the rest of the body<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some tips to make brushing fun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Turning brushing into a fun routine can make a big difference in getting buy-in. Here are some of the things we\u2019ve learnt over the years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Let kids pick their own toothbrush<\/strong>, especially ones with fun colours or characters<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Play a two-minute song<\/strong> to help them brush for the right amount of time<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Brush together as a family<\/strong> so children can copy good habits<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Use a sticker or reward chart<\/strong> to celebrate consistency<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Use kid-friendly dental apps<\/strong> that use games, music, or timers to make brushing fun<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t skip dental checkups\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Regular dental visits are important for keeping little smiles healthy, and they allow the dentist to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Find cavities early<\/strong>, before they become painful or serious<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Watch teeth and jaw growth<\/strong> as your child develops<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Protect teeth<\/strong> with treatments like fluoride or sealants<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Teach kids proper brushing<\/strong> and flossing techniques in a positive way<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your child is due for a dental check-up or their first trip to the dentist, you can book it here \u2013 https:\/\/onlineappointment.carestack.uk\/?dn=brightside&ln=1#\/home<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you\u2019ve got any questions about any element of your child\u2019s dental health, please feel free to reach out and we\u2019ll be happy to help.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ketan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" February plays host to a vital moment in the dental calendar: Children\u2019s Dental Health Month. Dental health is important no matter what age you are, but getting kids started early can help prevent cavities, build good habits and help keep smiles healthy for life. Children should start visiting the dentist from the moment their first … Continue reading Doing it for the kids – children’s dentistry at Brightside<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightsidedental.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}