Teaching the Basics: 5 Essential Tips for Instilling Proper Oral Hygiene in Children
Do you love to see your child smile? Of course you do! Those little pearly whites just tug at your heartstrings.
You’ve taken great care of your child’s teeth as a baby, and now it’s time to teach them how to take care of their oral health. At Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, our pediatric dentist can provide some great tips for instilling proper oral hygiene in your child.
Importance of Learning Proper Oral Hygiene as a Child
Proper oral hygiene is essential to your child’s baby teeth and their permanent teeth. Baby teeth, formally known as primary teeth, help your child bite, chew, speak, and smile.They also serve as placeholders that guide the permanent teeth into the correct position in your child’s jaw at the right time. Adult teeth that come in crooked or at the wrong time can cause expensive orthodontic issues later in life.
Good oral hygiene can also prevent tooth decay and cavities, known as dental caries. Believe it or not, cavities are the most common chronic condition in children and adults, even though they are mostly preventable with proper brushing and flossing. Babies can develop cavities early in a condition known as early childhood caries as soon as they start getting their baby teeth at about six months of age.
Habits learned in childhood often carry into adulthood, and this is true for oral hygiene – kids who learn to brush and floss properly are likely to take care of their teeth as adults. They are also more likely to visit a dentist as recommended.
5 Tips for Giving Your Child Healthy Oral Hygiene Habits for a Lifetime of Great Smiles
- Supervise your child
It can be tempting to cut corners, especially when you are a child with a million other fun things to do. Supervise your child’s brushing and flossing until they master the skills they need for a clean, healthy smile. Most kids benefit from supervision with oral hygiene until they are about 6 years old, although some do better with supervision until they are about 8.
2. Brush and floss at the exact times every day
Make oral hygiene part of your child’s daily routine by having them brush and floss at the exact times each day. Many parents have their kids brush in the morning after breakfast and before bed. Others prefer to have their kids brush after every meal. Performing oral care simultaneously each day helps your child remember to do it.
3. Show children how to brush and floss properly.
Brushing and flossing are not easy skills to learn, and it is easy for kids to miss steps. Tooth decay and cavities often start in the nooks and crannies between teeth, which are hard to reach without the skillful use of a toothbrush and floss. For best results, your child needs to:
- Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line
- Move the toothbrush back and forth, using short strokes
- Use the tip of the brush to clean the backsides of the top and bottom front teeth
- Brush their tongue
4. Make it fun!
Children are quickly bored, and let’s face it: Brushing and flossing are not the most exciting parts of the day. To keep their interest:
- Make oral hygiene fun.
- Let them choose their toothbrush, for example, or play music.
- Create a story that turns your child into a superhero, for example, who uses a toothbrush-shaped lightsaber to battle tooth decay.
- Choose a great pediatric dentist.
Choosing the right pediatric dentist can make all the difference in instilling proper oral hygiene habits in your child. Pediatric dentists make dentistry as fun and comfortable as possible, providing your children with a positive dental experience they will carry with them for a lifetime.
For more tips for instilling proper oral hygiene habits that last a lifetime, connect with the dentists at Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Here we specialize in providing full-service dental care for your children. Contact us today for more information and tips.