What Are You Teaching Your Child About Dental Hygiene?

Posted February 6, 2020

There’s a lot that you want your child to know about caring for their teeth, especially how to avoid any mistakes you may have made throughout the years (such as neglecting good hygiene). However, it isn’t just what you tell your child that matters. For instance, no matter how much you tell them to brush and floss your teeth, they’re much less likely to if they never see you do it. In many other ways, you can be teaching your child more about dental hygiene by what you do than you what you say, for better or worse.

What children learn by watching you

Observance is one of the most effective ways kids learn, which is why one of the most important tips for teaching them good hygiene is to do so by example. This may be obvious when it comes to showing them the mechanics of brushing and flossing – it’s most effective to show them how to hold the brush, how to move it across their teeth, how to floss between them, etc. However, you might not take it into consideration when you tell your child to brush their teeth, but don’t do the same yourself. For your good hygiene lessons to stick, make sure to live by them by remaining consistent with your own brushing and flossing routine.

How you can set good examples

Living by the principles you teach your child about good hygiene is one of the best ways to set a good example for them. Yet, good hygiene is more than just putting in time at the sink, and you’ll do more than just warn your child to clean their teeth. You’ll also have to warn them about indulging on too much candy, or drinking too much sugar-rich juice and soda. If you catch them chewing on ice or using their teeth to open things, you may instinctively tell them to stop. These lessons will stick more if you provide alternatives to candy and sugary juices, and refrain from misusing your own teeth and potentially damaging them.

How your child’s dentist can help

In addition to daily hygiene and care, visiting the dentist is another highly important aspect of good hygiene. It’s also one of the most frequent areas where people lack, and postponing or skipping appointments is more common than it should be. Be sure to stick to a consistent schedule of checkups and cleanings, and schedule your child’s checkup appointments at the same time. Your family dentist will be able to further support the lessons you teach, and provide a few you may not have thought of.

Learn what to teach your child about better hygiene

Children learn more than just what you tell them. They can also pick up a lot from how well they see you care for your own teeth and oral health. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.