Conditions
Dental Hygiene
If you believe the Hollywood movies, we Brits are notorious for our bad teeth, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Good dental hygiene begins as soon as kids’ milk teeth arrive, and teaching children how to look after their gnashers at an early age will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.
Milk teeth start to develop at six months and by three years old most children will have all 20. Over the next nine years these will be replaced by the 32 adult teeth, though wisdom teeth (the big ones at the back) can come later. Apart from their obvious function – allowing us to chew up our food – teeth enable kids to speak clearly, form facial expressions, and are important in how they feel about their appearance. The NHS reports that kids’ dental health is currently at an all time high, yet tooth decay is still an extremely common, serious, but preventable complaint. So how do you make sure your child’s teeth stay strong and healthy, and what sort of problems can arise?
The single most essential practice in looking after kids’ teeth is keeping them clean. Start brushing milk teeth at least twice a day, as soon as they appear, and from two years make sure kids see a dentist twice a year. Milk teeth start to fall out at around six years and since the new set needs to last us a lifetime, it’s vital to look after them.
Tooth decay is caused by plaque, which is a general build-up of unswallowed food, saliva and bacteria that ends up clinging to the teeth. Plaque can become a more solid substance called tartar which contains acids that eat away at the teeth to create cavities (holes). Sugary or starchy food and drinks accelerate the creation of plaque, and if the teeth aren’t kept clean decay can begin very quickly – even though your child doesn’t notice it. That can lead not only to toothache, but also toand gum disease, which jeopardises even healthy teeth.
If your child has a toothache that isn’t a consequence of milk teeth falling out, always take them to the dentist. With a good diet, proper hygiene and regular attention, tooth decay is one condition in kids that is simple and easy to prevent.
Comments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
My son is 9years old and has beautiful white teeth but I've noticed recently he's grinding them in his sleep and it looks like he's wearing them away, what shall I do?.
hello i realy need braces but all the dentists are not running appointments in bath until next year can anyone help me get a an appointment in bristol
im 13. When I was little, I whacked my face on a door and made my front milk tooth bruise. It should of fell out 4 years ago so i went dentists and they used a needle to get it out. but the other buck adult tooth next to it and movede over and used up the other tooths space and because it should of came out 4 years ago, it started growing in my gum =. dentists recommended braces and im getting them soon. But im being bullied bad by this and its really making me upset and i feel like i cant smile.
Every time i bruch my teath the gum above 1 of my teeth bleeds a little is this gum desise or is it my toothbrush ? i brush my teth twice a day and use mouth wash on a regular baisis so i have no idea why
my teeth are getting bad and its a habbit i have got is there ennyone out there who can help me
when i eat my jaw seems to be making a cracking sound why is this?
Oh My Gosh! This used to happen to me but it just sort of 'worn off' after a while! I think its just a loose muscle but mine went so don't worry. :D
My brother has bad breath problem he says it's not just his bad breath he things everything smells like his hands and his genital oragans.He's been to the doctor he took all the test blood and many more but they sayd there's nothing wrong with him.They didnt check his stomach for any bacteria.he doesnt smoke and he is very clean but the smell its still there.what do u thing its the cause of this.thank you
my three year old daughter is suffering with smelly breath on a regular basis, there isn't any tooth decay and she brushes her teeth twice a day and uses mouth wash but it doesn't seem to improve. i don't know what else to try any suggestions?
this may be gingivitis (Google this)this is unable to be see but if it gets worse her gums might start to bleed it may not be gingivitis but the symptoms seem similar to it so to resolve this visit your dentist she may need a injection but don't worry it is injected really fast and or if she does not need a injection you will be able to get some tables that will stop the gingivitis and the bad breath
my 31 months old has had 2 vent infections in the last 2 months and her teth have been very painful she has just cut her 2 back molars but her gums kepp bleeding when you touch them can any one help my dentist is not helpful
hi my daughter is 12 and has been diagnosed with tooth enamel deficiency she has had most of her adult teeth come through which has resulted in the two front teeth to be a noticeable yellow colour and the rest white and patchy she has become very paranoid and refuses to smile which is very sad she has had a lot of ignorant people come out with nasty comments and she has began to say how she feels depressed about them which is very worrying she is quite a private child so i know it must be bad for her to even mention it yours sincerely a very concerned parent(is there anything we can do now as the dentist has said to leave it till she is older}
i have the same plobrom and im 14 and its a habbit i have got of not cleaning my teath very well
i can not help you out on the 2 yellow front teeth but the patchy teeth i can explain there is sadly no cure and may be there for quite a while i had it myself but when i got a filling on my tooth it got drilled away really would not advise that but before i got rid of it i used to let people take me for who i am tell your daughter from me that people who take fun of your 12 year old are just idiots and they are so childish just ask her to show off her smile and if people don't like it that's because they don't have one themselves
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here