As mentioned in the article, if you have not been regularly flossing, you may (should!) notice your gums bleeding during flossing. Unless you are pulling so hard you are hurting yourself, the bleeding is an indication of active gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis).
The use of retainers after straightening your teeth (or to prevent teeth from getting more crooked, even if you don’t want to straighten them!) is very important to minimize “relapse” (the natural tendency of teeth to want to go back to the position they started from).
An excellent overview of how to best take care of your child’s teeth!
A key point to note: oral hygiene routines for children should include both tooth brushing and flossing. Toothbrushing should not only be monitored but a caregiver should be “re-brushing” or “pre-brushing” the child’s teeth with each toothbrushing session (twice a day!).
Something I always like to stress to parents is - toothbrushing is not optional! It can be stressful and challenging while you and your little one are getting used to the routine. But it is important to view it as vital a part of your child’s hygiene routines as diaper changing and bathing. They may not like it, but it has to happen, and eventually they will at least tolerate it, if not enjoy it!
Any tooth or mouth concern should be looked at by a dentist as soon as possible- please seek out help immediately.
In particular:
- swelling: inside your mouth (along or below the gums, the roof of your mouth, under your tongue) or outside of your face can be signs of varying degrees of infection and need to be addressed urgently
Xylitol is not only a natural sweetener but also an anti-cavity agent. For anyone suffering from dry mouth or is prone to cavities chewing a sugarless gum with Xylitol can be a benefit to helping stimulate saliva and reduce cavity risk. It is also important it’s not a citrus flavour- the acid can be detrimental.