The effect of neglecting children’s oral hygiene on dental and oral health

Oral hygiene in children is one of the important issues that play a significant role in maintaining the health of the mouth and teeth. Unfortunately, many parents and caregivers do not pay enough attention to this issue and neglect children’s oral hygiene. In this article, we examine the impact of neglecting children’s oral hygiene on dental and oral health.

The first and most important impact of neglecting children’s oral hygiene on dental and oral health is the emergence of dental diseases. Regardless of oral hygiene, children may be exposed to diseases such as poor digestion and oral bacteria. This causes the formation of cracks and scratches on the teeth, resulting in damage to the teeth and causing pain. Oral diseases, such as gum stiffness, gum infections, and tooth decay, take a long time to heal and lead to serious dental problems if left untreated.

Oral diseases, as a symptom, may also indicate other diseases. For example, oral bacteria may lead to other infections in the body. Oral diseases can also pose greater risks for people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart infections, and chronic respiratory problems.

In some cases, lack of attention to oral hygiene can cause the loss of teeth. If children under the age of 7 are not paying attention to oral hygiene, their permanent teeth may have problems. Also, neglecting oral hygiene has the greatest impact on the health of the mouth and teeth in childhood, for this reason, oral hygiene in childhood is of great importance.

Education of adolescents in oral hygiene

Considering the negative effects of not paying attention to children’s oral hygiene on teeth and mouth health, teaching oral hygiene to children and teenagers is very important. For this reason, parents should be successful in educating children about oral hygiene. Oral hygiene should be established as a daily habit in children to reduce dental problems in the future. Parents can educate children as responsible people in taking care of their teeth by holding oral health workshops as well as methods such as questions and answers about children’s oral health.

Oral hygiene recommendations for children

Other problems that can arise as a result of neglecting oral hygiene in children include bad breath, mouth sores and herpes, dry mouth, and toothache. In some cases, children may need dental surgery or develop oral infections that can cause more problems with their overall health.

To prevent these problems, children’s oral hygiene should be taken care of. For this purpose, various methods can be used, including:

• Teaching the child to perform correct oral hygiene, including correct brushing and use of mouthwash
• Using healthy and low-sugar foods and avoiding sweet and messy foods
• Regular visits to the dentist to check children’s teeth and implement the necessary measures and treatments
• Avoiding the use of sweet drinks and carbonated drinks
• Pay attention to your oral hygiene as a parent, for example by setting an example of brushing and using mouthwash

Finally, children’s oral hygiene is very important and should not be neglected. Considering that oral hygiene affects the overall health of the body, it is necessary to consider this issue as a priority for children’s health.

Some effective solutions to prevent neglect of children’s oral hygiene

Due to the very important impact of oral hygiene on the health of the teeth and mouth, it is very important to pay attention to the oral hygiene of children. Some of the effective solutions to prevent neglect of children’s oral hygiene include the following:

 Basic Education: Teaching oral hygiene to children should start before elementary school, and parents play an important role in the health education of their children. Parents should know how to clean their teeth and maintain proper oral hygiene so that they can teach their children.

 Reward and encouragement system: The reward and encouragement system can be used to encourage children to observe oral hygiene. For example, give children candy or something else as a reward after each time they brush their teeth.

Visiting the dentist: To prevent oral and dental diseases, children must visit the dentist in Richmond Hill every six months. This action helps prevent further oral problems.

 Consuming healthy foods: Consuming unhealthy foods such as nuts, soft drinks, and sweets is the biggest risk factor for oral and dental health. It is better to use fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods instead of unhealthy foods.

Five strategies to increase the importance of oral hygiene in children

Although neglecting children’s oral hygiene may cause serious dental and oral problems, this issue can be prevented by taking some simple measures and better follow-up. Below are five ways to increase the importance of oral hygiene in children:

1- Teaching oral hygiene to children from a young age: from the beginning of school, children should learn the correct way to brush their teeth and use hygiene products. Workshops and educational games can help children remember oral hygiene as a lifelong habit.

2- Encouraging the use of health products: for children, health products do not have a pleasant taste and aroma, and therefore they often reject them. However, by encouraging them to use health products with their favorite flavors and scents, they can be helped to use these products more often.

3- Limit the consumption of sweets and sweet drinks: Most children are very fond of sweets and sweet drinks, but excessive consumption of these substances can cause dental problems. To reduce this problem, it is better to minimize the consumption of sweets and sweet drinks.

Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to oral hygiene in children and it can have significant effects on the health of their mouth and teeth. Children with poor oral hygiene are more prone to future oral diseases, including cavities, oral infections, maxillofacial cavities, and gum disease.

The important thing to note is that children’s oral hygiene not only helps the health of their mouths and teeth but can have effects on the health of their entire body. In general, children’s oral hygiene includes brushing their teeth, eating healthy foods, reducing the consumption of sugary drinks, and losing any unhealthy habits. According to these points, children’s oral hygiene should start from a young age and continue regularly and continuously.

Improving children’s oral hygiene can reduce future medical costs. By performing proper oral hygiene, it is possible to avoid the costs associated with dental and medical treatments that have occurred due to the lack of attention to oral hygiene of children. In addition, children with proper oral hygiene increase their self-confidence, improve their mood, and increase their ability to concentrate.