Kids’ Dental Care Habits Must Start at Home

Visiting the dentist is pivotal in keeping healthy teeth for children, but the most important aspect of a child’s tooth health begins at home. Brushing, flossing, and eating right are all key for children to maintain healthy teeth.

Now dental therapists are warning that children’s oral health must begin at home, with parents and caregivers given a comprehensive education if preventive measures are to be successful.

They say that the first port of call should be expectant mothers.

The original study investigated how health behaviours related to the potential transmission of oral bacteria from mother to child.

Acknowledging that health behaviours play a major role in the prevention of the most common oral diseases, it suggested a need within in patient health education for more emphasis on how to prevent bacterial transmission from caregiver to child during feeding.

The study polled mothers attending child health clinics in Finland using a questionnaire that addressed the issues of health knowledge and behaviours such as sharing a spoon with their child, kissing on the lips, and the mothers’ tooth brushing, smoking, age, and level of education.