Brushing one’s teeth every morning is a practice we all follow. However, the key to ideal oral hygiene is to brush your teeth once in the morning and once at bedtime. In India, we religiously brush every morning but brushing at night is not considered an essential habit. However, the truth is that the germ build-up that occurs at night is far worse than what our teeth are exposed to during the day.
At night, the salivary flow in our mouth is low and the germs that remain in our mouth overnight produce an acid that may lead to tooth decay. Therefore, it is important that we, especially children, brush our teeth before we sleep in order to maintain sound oral care.
Imbibe the habit
It is imperative that kids learn to brush their teeth every night as habits learned during childhood remain constant throughout one’s life. In addition, if a child maintains sound oral hygiene from a young age, he or she will always have a great set of healthy teeth. However, it is usually quite difficult to get a child to follow discipline so listed below are some quick tips that will help you make night brushing a habit for your child:
w Children are habitual emulators. If a child watches his or her parents adopting good oral habits, he or she is more likely to follow the same routine so start brushing your teeth every night and your child will follow.
w Provide time for brushing teeth in your child’s routine in the morning and at night. Make sure you pick a time when your child is not tired and cranky.
w Initially, you can help your child brush his or her teeth and liven the session by singing songs, etc. This way, you make brushing teeth a fun activity rather than a chore.
w Take your child to a dentist who can share the benefits of night brushing and also teach your child the right brushing technique. This will encourage him or her to make it a habit.
w Reward your child for brushing regularly at night. For example, you can give your child a star for every time he or she brushes at night and 10 stars can earn him or her a small gift. Never reward with sweets!
w Ensure that your child does not consume any liquid or food besides water after brushing at night.
w Use a fluoride-based toothpaste; it helps in reducing decay and protects tooth enamel while your child is asleep.
w Ensure that your child follows a healthy diet containing adequate portions of calcium, which strengthens the teeth. Milk is the best source of calcium.
The writer is the Honorary Secretary of the Indian
Dental Association,
AP State Branch