Pediatric Dentistry in Whitehall, MI - Lakeshore Family Dental Care - Ryan T Brunworth DDS

What Are The Bad Dental Habits In a Child

They say it is never too late to start a good thing; it is never too late to start giving dental habits tips to your kids. Why? Because poor dental habits fall into the practices of children and their parents if they are not cautious. Once in a while, everyone needs a reminder about the best habits to maintain & the ones need to avoid.

At our dental office in Whitehall, we work hard to see your kids smiling. Sometimes, through procedures like dental sealants or composite fillings. Other times, through enlightening and assisting our patients and their parents in developing good dental habits. In our dental office, we have kid-friendly dentists to take care of your child’s oral health.

Here we have listed down the habits that your kid must stop right now:

Thumb Sucking

Babies pick on the habit of thumb sucking from the mother’s womb. It is intuitive and usually helps to comfort them. But continuing this practice may hamper the structure of their jaws and teeth. While thumb sucking, the tongue forces the teeth every time the kid swallows. Their front teeth may poke out and create a deformation in their mouth and teeth. It is crucial to make them aware of this habit and help them get rid of it.

Swallowing Toothpaste

Some kids love the flavor of toothpaste a little too much & if your child consumes an amount of paste a few times is not an issue.

But, if they are consuming toothpaste instead of spitting it out, it can be an oral issue because they are taking lots of Fluoride. Most of the time, you can prevent kids from swallowing toothpaste by confirming they only squeeze a small amount on their toothbrushes.

Nail Biting

Some kids form this worst habit of chewing their fingernails. This habit can raise the chance of chipping, cracking, and wearing down teeth. Nail-biting habits can also harm the gum tissue due to scratches from nails. In the case of braces, the chance of tooth loss is high. Similarly, the bacteria from fingernails can also outspread in the mouth and then to the stomach leading to flu.

Teeth Grinding

This habit is most common in kids whose parents are inclined to teeth grinding in the day or night. The possibilities behind this habit are genetic, malpositioned teeth, deficiencies, or worms in the gut. Grinding can lead to sensitivity and tooth loss. Grinding is a complicated issue in kids, and you may require the help of our dental office in Whitehall to treat it.

Brushing Hard

Brushing is the first and crucial step to maintaining a healthy hygiene habit. Gently brushing for 2 minutes fires all the plaques and germs. But brushing too hard may hurt the gum and increase dental sensitivity. It can also make the gum tissue shrink & gum bleeding.

Chewing Ice

Crunching on ice can be pleasing, specifically on a hot summer day. However, when you crunch on ice, you are harming your teeth. Hard ice can weaken your enamel with time, which results in temporary tooth sensitivity or permanent damage. Sometimes, it happens that your child may chew ice their entire life & never faces an issue. Dentists agree to it but it is not a chance worth taking.

Sugary Beverages

Carbonated sugary beverages and soft drinks are harmful to all of us. They are hard on new teeth of kids. Unfortunately, a survey indicates that about 38% of toddlers get exposed to these beverages. Never let your child create a soft drink habit.

Tongue Thrusting

Also called immature swallowing, the habitual action of pushing the tongue ahead against the lips to close the mouth for eating. Tongue thrusting frequently puts stress on the upper front teeth, which can cause them to force out of alignment with time.

Taking Bottle To Bed

To ease the crying baby, many parents give milk bottles to their kids when putting them to bed. What they do not realize is that this habit is rather harmful. The baby bottle can cause tooth decay, pain, and infection in the mouth. It might also be a cause of early tooth decay in kids.
If your child still is not ready to leave these bad habits, it is crucial to get rid of your child’s oral health problem. We suggest you take expert advice. Professional pediatric dentists are trained & have expertise in studying kid behavior. At our dental office located in Whitehall, we offer proper guidance to parents and kids on how to follow up on good dental hygiene. If you need to consult with our expert, contact us today to schedule an appointment or call us at (231) 272-2723.