How to Help Your Child Brush Their Teeth Better
Good dental hygiene practices aren’t necessarily difficult to adhere to, but for children, they can seem mundane. This can make it more challenging to teach them to stick to good dental hygiene practices every day, or help them develop habits that will benefit their smiles in the future. Fortunately, children will become more adept at keeping their teeth clean on their own as they grow older, especially if you continue to help them improve their techniques for brushing and flossing their teeth.
Keep giving them tips to improve
Your child’s education in good dental hygiene shouldn’t stop at the basics. Once they know how to hold and move the toothbrush to clean their teeth and how to use floss properly, continue teaching them how to use them more effectively with tips on improving their hygiene. For example, show your child how to angle the toothbrush to clean along their gum line every time they brush their teeth, and the importance of cleaning their tongue as well as their teeth and gum lines.
Make sure they brush long enough
Getting your child to remain at the sink long enough to successfully clean all of their teeth can be difficult if they aren’t interested. However, it’s important to spend enough time (typically, about two minutes) to effectively brush every surface of every tooth. For motivation, you can play two minutes of one of their favorite songs each time they brush and floss, and make it a challenge for them to clean every tooth before it ends. This will reduce the amount of food particles and oral bacteria they leave behind, and lower their chances of developing an oral health concern like cavities as a result of it.
Choose kid-friendly hygiene products
One of the most effective ways to get your child interested in good dental hygiene is to give them a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and other products designed specifically for children. Some products contain fluoride that can help build up your child’s tooth enamel and natural oral health defenses. However, your child will be interested enough in the fun and entertaining designs, different flavors of toothpastes, and more to be more exited about using them every day.
Learn how to improve your child’s hygiene
Teaching your child to brush and floss their teeth more effectively can have long-lasting benefits to their overall 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.
filed under: General Dentistry