Don't do what I did, spare your kid from having bad teeth

One of the things that I regret in my seven years of mommyhood is my failure to keep my son's teeth healthy and white.

Yes, my son has many of his teeth eaten away, partly, by cavities. Here are some of the wrong things I did because of ignorance:

I bottle-fed my son with formula milk. I was not educated on exclusive breastfeeding. When I became pregnant with Milliard, there were no visible breastfeeding awareness campaign going around unlike these days. I thought I just happened to be one of those unlucky mothers who do not have capacity to produce enough breastmilk. Now, after learning more about breastfeeding (which I will share with you on another post), I realized that the reason my breastfeeding failed was because I was doing everything wrong. Mommies, there's a reason why breast milk has been identified as the best food for babies up to six months. It's complete, highly nutritious, and only gives your baby what it needs. It also helps prevent many diseases including infections, diabetes, and obesity among others. Breastfeeding also reduces the chance of your child getting ear infection and faster tooth decay, which are often the result of leaving the feeding bottle on the baby's mouth until he/she falls asleep.

I followed the toothpaste fad. Don't get carried away by advertisements on new toothpaste formulas. Dentists still recommend toothpaste with fluoride for better teeth protection.

I let him bring juice to school for everyday baon because he likes it. Juices, especially those that are commercially prepared or are made from powdered fruit juice mix are acidic and high in sugar. Let your child get used to drinking water instead. If it's inevitable for your child to drink juice, teach him to drink water afterward to wash away the remaining acid and sugar in his/her mouth.

I didn't bring him to the dentist regularly. I thought that it's okay because they are just baby teeth; that we should take his teeth seriously when the permanent teeth came out. When his first permanent teeth came out, we brought him to the dentist for cleaning. The dentist was so shocked to see so much cavities on Milliard's teeth. She recommended some treatments to prevent further damage; however, due to financial limitations, we weren't able to comply with the order, which could have been  avoided if we only strictly and consistently taught him to practice proper oral hygiene during his early years.

Dentists recommend that the first examination be done at the time of the eruption of the first tooth and no later than 12 months of age. This is to monitor the development of the child's teeth. "Early detection and management of oral conditions can improve a child’s oral health, general health and well-being, and school readiness. Delayed diagnosis of dental disease can result in exacerbated problems which lead to more extensive and costly care," says the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).

So don't repeat my mistakes. Save your children's teeth by doing the following:

• Teach your children to brush their teeth properly and to clean their inner cheeks and tongue as well.
• Help them floss. Children 10 years old and above can already be taught how to floss by themselves.
• Use toothpaste and mouth rinse with fluoride. Make it clear that when they do, they have to spit the toothpaste and the rinse out.

• Make drinking of water after taking in of sweet or acidic food and beverages a habit. 

• Visit your dentist for cleaning and check up at least once every six months.