The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the population in a multitude of different ways. While sometimes it feels like the world has come to a complete standstill, your children’s dental health should still be a top priority.
Your Child’s Dental Health During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful time for everyone, and your children may be affected by this tense and tumultuous time. This stress may show up in some habits that may pose as dental concerns, which include:
- Thumb-sucking: Thumb sucking is common way that children calm themselves, but it can have a negative effect on the formation of your child’s teeth. Try to discourage your child from thumb sucking by ensuring that they are calm and relaxed before bed, and help them find other coping mechanisms.
- Teeth grinding: Teeth grinding is also very common in highly stressful times, but can damage the grinder’s teeth. A relaxing bedtime routine may help with the prevention of grinding.
Just Because It’s Covid, Doesn’t Mean Teeth Time Should Be Neglected
While most parents are spending more time at home, this doesn’t mean to say that they will have more time to deal with their child’s teeth cleaning. Time at home is spent home schooling, managing household chores and the list goes on. With parents fully occupied at home, kids’ dental hygiene might fall behind so be sure to put some time away in the morning and night to ensure your children keep up with their dental health and hygiene.
Try And Save Trips To The Dentist For Emergencies Only
As the COVID-19 crisis rages on, you may want to keep your little ones as isolated as possible from contact with strangers and the outside world. Try and save trips to the dentist for emergencies (at least until things return somewhat back to ‘normal’).
To preserve the dental health of your child, ensure that they are brushing and flossing regularly. A healthy diet, with minimal sodas and candies, is also integral to good dental health and to avoid cavities.
That being said, if your child complains of toothache or experiences unusual pain in their mouth, you should book a dental appointment for them.
Alternatively, telephonic and email consultations are available. By sending a photo of your child’s mouth or specific problematic area, we can help you over the phone or email. This will help you avoid a trip to our medical rooms.
Here at Wiggly Teeth, kids dentistry in Pretoria, we genuinely care about the dental health of your little ones. Our clinic has been created with children in mind, to create an environment in which they feel relaxed and safe.
If you have any questions about your child’s dental hygiene, our COVID-19 precautions, or would like to make an appointment, feel free to call us on +27 12 347 0718.
