Great Kids Flossing Tips to Keep Your Child’s Teeth Healthy
Do you want to know how you can get your child to take better care of his or her teeth?
Tooth decay ranks as one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood in America. Kids tend to eat a lot of sugary foods, which contribute to the growth of cavities or tooth decay.
Teaching manners is important, however, dental hygiene is also essential to learn. We understand that some kids aren’t as open to learning new things, especially when it comes to hygiene. In this post, we’ll show you some kids flossing tips plus other ways to get your kid to take better care of his/her teeth.
1. Kids Flossing Tips: Teach Proper Flossing Early
As an adult, you already know that brushing isn’t enough to keep teeth healthy. Flossing helps clean between teeth where toothbrushes can’t reach. This is why dentists recommend that everyone sticks to a daily flossing routine.
“When should I teach my child to floss?” You may be wondering. Are your child’s teeth already close together? This is a sign that he or she needs to start flossing them.
Start by explaining to your child what flossing is and why it’s vital for their dental health. Next, teach them how to floss the right way. Take care to watch how they floss their teeth and let them know if they’re doing well.
Start as soon as two teeth start touching. This way, you teach them early on the importance of flossing and the proper way to do it. Be sure you remind them to make it a regular habit as well.
2. Act as the Role Model
It’s cute to see kids pick up their first toothbrush and brush away. For some, it’ll even take them ten minutes to finish for their first brush. Do you know how a child takes an interest in brushing his/her teeth in the first place?
It’s because your kid most likely saw you or another adult doing it. When it comes to children, the trick to getting them to do something is to show them you’re doing it too. It’s like how you teach your child manners or house chores.
“Monkey sees, monkey do” is how children learn to survive, after all.
If you want a young child to pick up the habit of brushing and flossing his teeth, you have to make it your habit first. Better yet, brush your teeth with them in the morning and before sleeping. The same idea works with flossing for kids so get your kids flossing products for kids.
3. Teach Them Proper Brushing
When they pick up an interest in brushing their teeth, you can start telling them how to do it right. Show your child the step-by-step process of brushing their teeth. Start with how much toothpaste they need to use.
For kids under the age of 3, they need to use a rice-size amount of toothpaste only. This is especially important if they don’t know how to spit yet. When they learn how to spit, you can then let them use a pea-size amount of toothpaste.
Teach them to brush for two minutes each time and to cover all parts of their mouths. Ask your child to sing a nursery rhyme in her head or hum it out loud. Also, remember, brushing isn’t only about cleaning the teeth.
4. Feed Your Kids Healthy Foods
Cookies and cupcakes aren’t enough to keep a growing girl or boy healthy. Remember, the food you feed your child doesn’t only benefit their growth and development. Their diet also fuels their oral health.
The diet they need must be a balanced one. That means having veggies, lean proteins, fruits, and dairy products in their meals. Cut back on sugary foods and drinks, especially juices.
People have a misconception on the unhealthiest “healthy” drink, which is fruit juice. Yes, 100% juice still has most of the vitamins from the original fruit. However, in essence, it’s a glass of fruit vitamins and a lot of sugar in liquid form.
Fruit in its whole form is the best and healthiest kind of snack or breakfast for you. If you turn it into juice, you lose all its fibers but none of its fructose (natural sugar). The healthiest a fruit juice can get for you is a cup of 100%, no-sugar-added fruit juice.
5. Have Them Visit Their Dentists Twice a Year
You and your kids must keep dental appointments at least twice a year. These appointments will include checkups and dental cleaning. It may also include extractions for both kids and adults.
“My child grew his/her first tooth recently. When or how soon should he/she visit a dentist?”
Your child needs to visit a dentist within the first 6 months of a child’s first tooth or first birthday. Whichever comes first will define the schedule of his/her regular dental checkups. Set a schedule and make it a habit for the family to see a dentist every six months.
6. Talk to Them About the Importance of Dental Health
Finally, for the last tip of the kids flossing tips guide, give your kid a reason to take care of their teeth.
In the end, it comes down to how well your child understands why they have to keep their teeth healthy and clean. If they understand the consequences of having unclean teeth, they’ll know to clean them.
Be gentle and patient when you explain the importance of dental hygiene to your child. Always remind them to brush and floss their teeth. They’ll thank you for it when they’re older and wiser.
Help Keep Your Kids’ Teeth Healthy
As our schedules fill up and we get less time for self-care, we often begin to disregard our health. Dental health is often one of the first things that get neglected. Look out for your kids’ dental health while it’s early and later, have them do it for themselves.
When they grow older, keeping their dental hygiene becomes a difficult habit to break.
Don’t hesitate to follow these kids flossing tips! But don’t stop here. If you want to read more content on dental health, check out our other guides available, today!
