A safe guide to introducing mouthwash to children

Use mouthwash aka mouthwash for adults may sound natural. However, what happens if children are introduced to mouthwash from an early age? In fact, mouthwash needs to be introduced to children early on. Yes, mouthwash for children is needed to prevent plaque formation on the gums and teeth, and reduce the growth of harmful germs in the oral cavity. The reason is, plaque and bacteria that accumulate in the oral cavity can cause gum disease, which in turn results in tooth decay.

Check out the correct tips for introducing mouthwash for children in this article.

Since when can children use mouthwash?

The American Dental Association, the dental association in the United States, recommends using mouthwash for children when they are 6 years old. This advice is not without reason. The reason is, children aged 6 years generally already have a reflex to spit, so their risk of swallowing mouthwash is lower.

Drg. Sri Angky Soekanto, Ph.D., PBO, lecturer at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Indonesia also stated the same thing. When met by the Hello Sehat team on Friday (9/11), drg. Sri Angky explained that actually at the age of 6 years, permanent molars will usually start to grow.

Unfortunately, most people don't keep their molars clean because they don't know that they have grown since the age of 6. As a result, permanent molars are prone to damage. In fact, permanent molars that have been damaged from childhood to adulthood will no longer grow.

"Therefore, before children are before the age of 6, they should be taught good habits. Including gargling. So, once the child is able to gargle and spit, the child can be taught to rinse with mouthwash, "said drg. Sri Angky, who also serves as chairman of the Indonesian Dentist College (KDGI).

How do you teach children to use mouthwash?

Teaching new knowledge and habits to children is not easy. You are required to be extra patient in dealing with children's behavior which tends to change and is difficult to predict. Even so, don't make it an obstacle to teach your little one healthy habits from an early age.

Drg. Sri Angky shares tips on introducing mouthwash for children. Basically, how to use mouthwash for children is the same as that for adults. The difference is, parents must ensure that their little one is able to gargle and spit.

"Tell the children to learn to gargle with plain water first, then use mouthwash," explained drg. Sri Angky.

Yes, the first step you can take to introduce your child to mouthwash is to instruct him to routinely rinse with boiled water. To make sure your child is really able to gargle and spit on their own, you can put water in a container that has been marked with a mark or use a small measuring cup that is used for taking medicine.

Source: Etsy

After that, ask the child to rinse his mouth to the right, to the left, and while looking up (but don't swallow). Then throw it in the measuring cup again, not the sink or bathroom floor. If after spitting the water level in the container does not change, it means that your child can be taught how to use mouthwash. Meanwhile, if the water limit in the container changes, then the child needs to learn more often until the way to rinse is good.

Mouthwash cannot replace a toothbrush

Mouthwash for children is generally therapeutic, which serves to help prevent cavities. Usually, mouthwash for children is alcohol-free, has an attractive packaging, and has many choices of flavors that children like, namely sweet.

In addition, children's mouthwash usually contains fluoride. Flouride is indispensable for the remineralization process during the replacement of baby teeth to permanent teeth. The reason is, permanent teeth that lack fluoride are more easily brittle and hollow.

Ideally, use mouthwash twice a day after brushing your teeth. However, it is important to understand that mouthwash cannot replace brushing. That is, even though the child is accustomed to gargling with it mouthwash , children should also be taught to regularly brush their teeth twice a day.

The use of mouthwash continuously and continuously may not be necessary, if the habit of brushing teeth in the right way has been consistently done from an early age.