{"id":368,"date":"2015-09-02T20:08:29","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T20:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/?p=368"},"modified":"2015-09-02T20:08:29","modified_gmt":"2015-09-02T20:08:29","slug":"oral-hygiene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/oral-hygiene\/","title":{"rendered":"Oral Hygiene For the Whole Family: Tips from Dr. Rick Cofer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Father<\/a>As parents, we\u2019re always busy. There\u2019s a band concert tomorrow, a basketball game on Friday and doesn\u2019t it seem like there\u2019s a big math or English test every single day? We have tons of responsibilities in parenting, and in the midst of it all, other things can slip by. For example, your child\u2019s teeth — when was the last time he or she visited the dentist? And are you sure they\u2019re getting brushed (and flossed!) properly, two times a day? These may seem like minor details in the midst of everything else going on, but your Waco dentist<\/a> is here to remind you that your child\u2019s oral health should be one of your top priorities.
\n<\/p>\n

Good Oral Hygiene for All Ages<\/h3>\n

Good oral hygiene begins when your child is a baby. It may seem early, but gingivitis can begin in very young children, and tooth decay is a possibility beginning with the very first tooth. You should begin developing good oral habits immediately to ensure you\u2019re setting your child up for a lifetime of healthy teeth.<\/p>\n

So what does good oral hygiene look like, for every age?<\/p>\n

Babies<\/h4>\n

You can begin caring for your baby\u2019s teeth by wiping his or her little gums and teeth with a damp washcloth after feeding. Make your baby\u2019s first dentist appointment around the time of the first tooth\u2019s eruption, with twice annual visits beginning no later than age two. Be sure to consult your dentist if you notice any spots or stains on those first teeth — they should all be one color, free from discoloration.<\/p>\n

Young children<\/h4>\n

Your young child thinks he or she can do everything — and it\u2019s great that they want to brush their teeth on their own! But make sure you\u2019re observing their brushing carefully, as children actually don\u2019t develop the manual dexterity to be able to brush thoroughly until around the age of seven. You can help young children make a habit of tooth brushing by making it a family event: have everyone brush together in the morning and evening, for example.<\/p>\n

Middle schoolers<\/h4>\n

As your child gets older, it becomes harder to keep an eye on what they\u2019re eating. Sugary snacks at school and at friend\u2019s houses can mean early tooth decay — so make sure you\u2019re setting a good example by eating healthy, fresh foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and by brushing and flossing twice a day. You may think your child doesn\u2019t notice, but the example you set is important.<\/p>\n

Adolescents<\/h4>\n

Anyone who has parented an adolescent knows it\u2019s a difficult stage. Teens are increasingly interested in doing things their own way and may not prioritize good oral hygiene habits as much as you\u2019d like. The good thing is teens are also typically very interested in their appearance — so you may find some sway in reminding them that a good dental hygiene routine will go far in keeping their smile bright and beautiful.<\/p>\n

Many teens also have another hurdle to deal with in maintaining healthy teeth — braces that make it difficult to floss properly. You can help your child by buying special flossing products, like Super Floss, to make it easier to keep flossing even with braces.<\/p>\n

Visit Your Waco Dentist<\/h3>\n

Any good oral hygiene routine demands twice annual visits to the dentist. These checkups are our opportunity to monitor your child\u2019s mouth for early decay or special orthodontic needs he or she may have. So when was your child\u2019s last checkup? If it\u2019s been more than six months, don\u2019t hesitate — call Dr. Cofer\u2019s office today<\/a>. We\u2019ll make sure your child\u2019s teeth are strong, healthy and beautiful at every age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As parents, we\u2019re always busy. There\u2019s a band concert tomorrow, a basketball game on Friday and doesn\u2019t it seem like there\u2019s a big math or English test every single day? We have tons of responsibilities in parenting, and in the midst of it all, other things can slip by. For example, your child\u2019s teeth — […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,1],"tags":[31,29,30,13,32,54,21,63,5,44,38,18,36,35,10,8,34,26,4,46,6,9,7],"class_list":["post-368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-childrens-dentistry","category-uncategorized","tag-cavities","tag-childrens-dentistry-2","tag-composite-fillings","tag-cosmetic-dentistry-2","tag-dental-checkup","tag-dental-checkups","tag-dental-floss","tag-dr-cofer","tag-dr-rick-cofer","tag-dr-rock-cofer","tag-full-service-dental-practice","tag-general-dentistry-2","tag-general-family-dentistry","tag-gum-disease","tag-hewett","tag-lorena","tag-periodontal-care","tag-periodontal-disease","tag-premier-family-dental","tag-premier-family-dentistry","tag-restorative-dentistry-2","tag-robinson","tag-waco"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":370,"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions\/370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premierdentalwaco.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}