Dental care can begin as soon as a child is born. From regularly cleaning their mouth to consulting a dentist, there are many things you can do before they even get any teeth!

COMING THROUGH

All babies are born with 20 teeth growing just under the gums. The first of these usually comes through between six and twelve months, with the rest of the teeth following over the next one to two years.

These 'baby' or 'milk' teeth help a child to eat, talk and smile. Of course they will eventually be replaced, but taking good care of them is crucial to the development of the good habits that will ensure the health of a child's adult teeth.

CLEANING THEIR TEETH

The process of cleaning a child's teeth changes a number of times in pre-school years, and starts before they even have any to clean!

Parents and carers should begin at birth by using a gauze or finger swab to clean the child's mouth. This will get them used to the routine of having their teeth cleaned.

When their first tooth breaks through,  it's time to introduce a child's sized toothbrush. The way to clean is by placing a smear of children's fluoride toothpaste (1000ppm) onto the specially designed toothbrush and carefully brushing the baby's teeth. Children over the age of three should use a normal adult fluoride toothpaste containing 1350-1500 ppm. This should be done twice a day. It is best to sit them on your knee while you do this.

To allow them to see what you are doing use a mirror which will also helps gain their attention more fully. Encourage them to hold the mirror while you brush their teeth. This will help them to learn about the process, and will help prepare them for when they will have to clean their own teeth.

Adults should continue to help children brush their teeth until they are seven or eight years old, as it is at this age that they develop the dexterity needed to clean their own teeth properly.

GETTING ADVICE

It is important that regular visits to the dentist are set up when the first teeth erupt. Not only do these allow parents to keep track of the crucial early stages of the child's oral development, but it also allows the toddler to become comfortable in what many adults regard as a stressful environment.

If a parent has a fear of the dentists, it's best not to mention it in front of a child, as they too will become anxious. Also, when mum or dad takes them to the dentist they should try and appear calm, as this will pass on the message that there is 'nothing to worry about'.

BAD HABITS AND HIDDEN DANGERS

Early eating habits can have a major effect on a child's dental health.

It is important to remember that children are not born with a sweet tooth. Rather their tastes are influenced by what adults prepare for them. It makes good sense to encourage savoury tastes, and avoid giving them too much sugar.

To do this parents and carers will have to keep a close eye on the sugar content in baby food jars and packets, rusks and baby drinks. In particular, they should watch out for 'hidden' sugars such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose and syrup. The higher any of these are on the ingredients list, the higher the sugar content.

Although most people are aware that fizzy drinks are bad for our teeth, few realise that fruit juices can be just as damaging. If parents would like their children to have the benefit of the vitamins present in fruit juice, they need to make sure that it is watered down first. This will reduce the effect of the sugar and the acid, and reduce the risk of tooth decay.

However, whether watered down or not, it is better to limit sugary drinks to mealtimes. Milk and water are much more suitable between meals. Water is the most suitable for a child to take to bed, as providing baby juices or sugar-sweetened drinks to help them sleep can cause serious 'baby-bottle-decay'. 

In particular, everyone should encourage children to drink tap water. In some parts of Britain - mainly in the Midlands and the North East - this contains fluoride, which helps prevent decay by strengthening the tooth enamel. However, although supportive and helpful, fluoridated water is not a substitute for regular brushing.

SHORT AND SWEET

If parents do give their child sweet foods, these need to be limited to  to mealtimes only. When it comes to sugar, how often they eat it is more important than how much they have. If a child is constantly snacking on sugary foods or sipping sugary drinks, their teeth will regularly be under acid attack, which could easily lead to decay - a problem for over fifty per cent of five to ten-year-olds today.

A good idea is to make sweets and chocolates a once-a-week treat. But relatives and friends need do the same, so there are no ‘secret' sweets. There are many non-edible gifts which children can enjoy without harming their teeth, such as books or crayons.

If parents do buy sweets regularly, they should look for sugar-free squashes and sweets. Some confectionaries contain a natural sweetener called xylitol, which actually improves the health of teeth.

COMMON SENSE

All this information might seem like a lot to take in, but keeping children's teeth healthy does not require a degree in dentistry - just good common sense. If we all  try to  ensure that they have a healthy diet, clean their teeth properly, and pay regular visits to the dentist, then they are likely to avoid the unnecessary pain and discomfort of corrective dental work, later in life.

Keeping snacks to a minimum, and checking foods for high sugar content will also be good for their general health, and, if adults lead by example, we will all benefit.

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