As an adult, you're probably familiar with proper dental care techniques. However, oral hygiene practices differ regarding your child's baby teeth, so it can be easy for parents to make mistakes, even with the best intentions. With the following tips, you can avoid these blunders and get on the right track with your kid's oral health.

What Mistakes Can Impact Your Child's Baby Teeth?

1. Delaying the First Dental Visit

Since baby teeth fall out, some parents assume they're not as important to care for as adult ones. However, bacteria can grow in the mouth and cause cavities at any age. If your little one loses a tooth prematurely due to decay, their permanent teeth can develop in a crooked position. Therefore, you should begin taking your child to the dentist once their first tooth breaks through the gumline or at age 1.

2. Encouraging Their Sweet Tooth

Kids love sugar, but regularly providing them with sweet treats and beverages can establish unhealthy habits. This ingredient creates plaque that builds up and around the teeth and erodes the enamel. As a result, your child becomes more vulnerable to decay and gum disease.

Birthdays, holidays, and special occasions are great times for sweet treats. However, limit the excess when possible. You can also substitute sugary foods with healthy snacks. For example, apples, celery, and carrots can naturally clean teeth.

3. Allowing Thumb-Sucking

Babies and young kids have oral fixations, especially when teething, so thumb-sucking is a normal development. However, it's not a habit you should encourage. Once a child loses their baby teeth, this practice can push the adult ones out of alignment. As a result, your little one could have a speech impediment or require braces. 

To get them to kick the habit, start small and provide positive reinforcement. For instance, place a sticker on a calendar if they go through a day without sucking their thumb.

Keep your child's baby teeth healthy with help from Pedodontic Associates in Hawaii. With a focus on preventative care, this practice has offered reliable dentistry services, such as annual cleanings and fluoride treatments, for children and adolescents in Oahu and Maui for over 25 years. Learn more about their common procedures online. Schedule an appointment by calling (808) 487-7933 for the Aiea clinic, (808) 735-1733 for the Honolulu office, and (808) 877-0066 for the Kahului location.