Top Tips & Tricks to Get Your Kids Brushing & Flossing the Right Way

In order to instill good dental hygiene in your kids, you need to show them the right way. It may not seem that important because they just have baby teeth right now. Consider their baby teeth a practice run for how to properly care for their adult teeth. Here are some tips so that you can start your kids off right with oral care.

Start off Early

As soon as that first tooth starts to emerge, it’s time to start brushing. This allows your kids to get used to the feel of the toothbrush in their mouths. A trick for this is to give them a toothbrush as a toy. Let them put it in their mouth on their own. You want them to come to the conclusion that having a toothbrush in their mouth is something that they want to do. This can save you the hassle of having to force the issue when it’s time to brush your teeth.

Demonstrate Good Technique

Let your kids watch when you brush your teeth. Explain to them what you’re doing as you do it. Even if you don’t think that your child can understand you, they will naturally want to mimic you. Give them their toothbrush so that they can practice on their own mouth. If your child is still unsure about the process, have them watch while you encourage your partner. If they see that both their parents are doing this bizarre ritual, they may be more open to trying it themselves.

Use Kid Friendly Products

Have your child select their own toothbrush. Cartoon characters are on kids’ toothbrushes so they want to have one of their own. There are hand-held kid-friendly flossers that can assist with the flossing process. Giving your kid a string of dental floss can seem intimidating. Something that they can easily hold in their hand can help them to learn proper flossing techniques. Have a separate tube of toothpaste that’s just for your child. This can make them excited about brushing their teeth.

Provide Gentle Assistance

You’ll have to assist your child until they’re about eight years old. For younger children, let them brush their own teeth once a day while you encourage them. Make sure that you brush their teeth without much assistance once a day. This will make sure that they don’t develop cavities. Kids are still learning the right way of doing things and can miss large segments of their teeth. A tip to help them brush longer is to brush your own teeth while they’re brushing. Make it a game to see who can brush the longest.

Schedule a checkup with a general dentistry office. Regular dental care is an important part of keeping your kid’s teeth healthy.