Fluoride Guidelines of Philippine Pediatric Dental Society, Inc. and Proper Tooth Brushing for Kids

Holiday season and Valentine's Day were times of the year when kids get lots of sweets as presents. They were excused to indulge as long as it wasn't too much. But don't forget to brush their teeth to avoid serious oral problems.

 February is National Dental Health Month and it is the best time to be more vigilant in doing oral care to our children.
But how is it done properly?

The key is we have to brush our children's teeth using fluoride toothpaste at a very young age with an age-appropriate amount of course. Remember, too much fluoride ingestion is detrimental to health. 

Here is the Fluoride Guidelines of Philippine Pediatric Dental Society, Inc. (PPDSI) for Kids' Oral Care.

A Special Committee on Fluoride was created to formulate Guidelines on the different fluoride-containing products in the Philippines. The intensive work of reading, assessing, reviewing and selecting evidence-based information from scientific journals and researches started in March 2009 with the final result finally deliberated on and approved by the general body of the Society in August 2011. It was officially released to the general dental practitioners during the Philippine Dental Association Annual Convention in November 2011.  Flyers of the guidelines are being distributed to the different stakeholders and are available at the PPDSI Secretariat (Courtesy: PPDSI)

If you have very young children like I do, this video shows the proper way of brushing their teeth as taught by our Pediatric Dentist too.

via Tooth Brushing for children three and under - The knee-to-knee technique (VCHhealthcare)

 

I also use clean cut and folded gauze bandage to wipe away excess fluoride toothpaste from my son' teeth because he doesn't know how to spit it out or gargle. In my opinion, it is more hygienic than using a washable cloth because I could dispose it after using.

 

  If your child tends to squirm, moves his head and body, or cry during tooth brushing like my youngest does, make sure to hold his hands, knees, and head NOT TOO TIGHTLY to avoid serious physical injuries. Sabi nga, "Alalay lang." Our Pediatric Dentist said it is okay to pin him down but make sure not to exert to much force especially on the head. If you are worried that it would cause an emotional trauma to your child, you don't have to worry. It won't. What is more traumatic for him is to experience tooth decay to the point that he couldn't sleep anymore.

 

 Following the recommendations above and letting your children visit their dentist every six months will surely make your children free from tooth decay!