Oral hygiene for kids – Know the right habits

26-year-old Priya was always afraid to visit a dentist. She never had to, simply because she never experienced a dental issue. One day, suddenly, her tooth began to hurt. It was excruciating. Alas! She had no choice but to overcome her fear and visit a dentist. The expert informed her that her oral hygiene was poor and that she needs to start inculcating healthy habits. Further, she must visit a doctor annually to have her teeth cleaned.

That day, Priya learnt her lesson. She also regretted not paying attention to her teeth and gums sooner. But then she resolved to never be negligent in practicing good oral hygiene.

To help children understand the importance of oral healthcare early on, Apeejay Rhythms Kinderworld and Apeejay School, Model Town recently organised a camp. The session catered to students from Pre-Nursery to grade 2. Dr Pragati Mohnindru and Dr Nitika Dev shared dental care tips with the students and also took health check-ups. School’s Principal Mr Malkiat Singh and teachers were also present on the occasion.

According to Ms Nidhi Ghai, Headmistress at Apeejay Rhythms, “This was a one-of-its kind initiative by the school. The agenda was to help young learners understand the value of practicing good dental hygiene. To further the same, we invited doctor-parents for a session. It was heartening to see how they made these dental practices appear so simple for our children. They learnt all about it in a rhythmic manner.”

“I had a great experience in school. I can say that almost 70 percent of children had healthy teeth and gums. During the health check-up, I wrote clinical notes for them and advised them to follow good practices, says Dr Mohnindru.

Dr Dev who practices at Urban Dental Clinic in Jalandhar says, “Often children and adults are scared of meeting a doctor. It is a general mindset which should change. On our visit to Apeejay, we tried to help that. On the first day, we met grade 1 and 2 students and the next day, we had kids from kindergarten. The children were happy and excited. They were open to learning something new and adopting healthy practices.” When asked about her daughter Elisha, Dr Dev says she limits her sugar intake to once every three days and ensures that her teeth are clean.