Many people have the misconception that babies do not need to brush their teeth, but in fact, oral hygiene is very important for babies. Babies over 3 years old need a small amount of toothpaste to brush their teeth. Children's toothpaste is mostly fruit flavored, and many babies may swallow toothpaste. What should babies do if they brush their teeth and eat toothpaste? Does it have any impact on the body? Let's take a look with the editor below.
What should babies do when brushing their teeth and eating toothpaste?
Babies under 3 years of age may not spit out toothpaste foam, or more or less swallow toothpaste when brushing their teeth, so they do not need to use toothpaste.
Older children can use a small amount of toothpaste, about the size of a pea, and it is best to choose products with lower fluoride concentration to prevent children from easily swallowing too much toothpaste.
If a child accidentally ingests a small amount of fluoride toothpaste or mouthwash, it should not be a big deal. However, if they ingest a large amount of fluoride at once, about 5 milligrams of fluoride per kilogram of body weight, it can cause acute poisoning, which may lead to nausea, vomiting, etc. In severe cases, it may cause a decrease in blood calcium concentration, spasms, and even heart and lung failure. They must be urgently sent to the hospital for treatment.
Baby brushing misconceptions
1. Brush your teeth once they have fully grown
Some parents think that only when their baby's teeth are fully grown do they need to brush their teeth seriously with a toothbrush, and usually only need to rinse their mouth before and after bedtime. Children usually don't have all their baby teeth until they are around two and a half years old, and the third national oral health survey shows that in just one or two years, more than 80% of children have worm teeth. This is related to the late start of oral cleaning.
2. Use force to clean thoroughly
Use more force, otherwise you won't be able to clean it thoroughly. "This is actually a misconception among many parents. Children's baby teeth and gums are very young, and excessive force can cause damage to the gums and oral mucosa. It can also cause tooth decay marks, trigger tooth allergies, and if further aggravated, pulp nerve inflammation may occur.
3. Children don't need toothpaste to brush their teeth
Children should also use fluoride toothpaste when brushing their teeth, which can effectively prevent dental caries. As long as the amount of toothpaste is appropriate, it will not cause harm to the body. Generally speaking, children aged 3-7 should use children's fluoride toothpaste, with a dosage of mung bean size each time; Children aged 7-14 also use children's fluoride toothpaste, and the dosage can be increased to the size of a soybean each time.
4. Sawing style horizontal brushing method
The appropriateness of brushing teeth is more important than the frequency of brushing. The "horizontal brushing method" not only fails to clean the teeth thoroughly, but also easily causes fragility of the teeth, especially damaging the hard tissues (enamel, dentin) and soft tissues (gums, periodontium) of the teeth. In the future, when children use a slightly harder toothbrush to brush their teeth, the gums are prone to pain.
The above is the editor's introduction to "What should babies do when brushing their teeth and eating toothpaste?" I believe that after reading it, everyone understands that not paying attention to oral hygiene can lead to the occurrence of oral diseases. Even babies who have not yet developed teeth should pay attention to oral hygiene. Baby's habit of eating toothpaste is not good. Although a small amount of toothpaste is not harmful to the body, parents still need to correct it immediately.
