How To Encourage Oral Health For Kids
The habits we learn when we are children are the ones we find easiest to maintain throughout our lives. But how soon should you begin, and what can you do to ingrain good oral health habits, and make them part of your child’s daily routine?
There’s no point in trying to start brushing and flossing lessons too young. Kids younger than five or six might not have enough coordination to brush their teeth on their own, so until this time, mom or dad will have to do it for them. But you can already start forming the impressions that will turn dental hygiene into part of your children’s day long before they start brushing on their own.
Brush and Floss in Front of Your Child
Kids suck up information like sponges. Just think of all the things one has to learn before one is able to walk and talk! Let your child learn by example. Brush and floss with your child watching. Turn it into a fun time of togetherness, and as soon as your kids are old enough to understand, start explaining what you are doing when you brush and floss your teeth and why it’s so important. Not a flosser? Start being one for the sake of your child’s oral heath.
Turn Toothbrush Time Into Fun Time
It’s important that your child should connect toothbrushing with fun and happiness. If you’re still brushing your child’s teeth, make sure it’s a positive experience. Be sure to choose a toothpaste that’s right for your child’s age. Some toothpastes taste too strong for kids and the last thing you want them to develop is negative associations with tooth brushing. Use a soft toothbrush, work gently, and be sure to give lots of positive affirmation for good cooperation!
Once kids start brushing their own teeth, get fun toothbrushes and be sure to remind them of toothbrushing time twice a day. If you join them for the twice-daily ritual, all the better!
Sweets are Treats: Keep Them That Way
Kids love sweet things, and there’s always temptation to give them more sugary treats than they should have. Keep sugar-laden soft drinks and candies for special occasions and be sure to explain the link between sugar and tooth decay to kids as soon as they’re old enough to understand.
Even “healthy” drinks like milk and fruit juices can cause tooth decay. Make water your child’s most frequent drink and keep on encouraging water drinking. Once again, leading by example is the best way to go. Drink lots of water too. It’s good for you.
Take your Child to the Oral Hygienist and for Regular Dental Checks
Regular dental check-ups help us to keep our teeth healthy. Your child should go for a first dental check-up shortly after the first tooth appears. After that, follow-up checks should happen every six months.
An oral hygienist at Green Apple Dental knows how to teach toothbrushing to children (and adults). Book an appointment and pay close attention to the things your oral hygienist teaches your child.
Oral Health is Linked to Overall Health
Oral health isn’t just about teeth. Studies have found that good oral health prevents a great many illnesses. Prepare your children for a healthy lifestyle by encouraging good oral health from the time they get their very first teeth. It’s an important part of the contribution you’ll make to their future wellbeing.
