How to maintain your child’s dental health.
If you’ve been a parent for any length of time, you’re probably very aware that kids often don’t enjoy brushing their teeth. That’s why you must take your children’s dental health seriously every single day—because they probably won’t.
No matter their age, it’s never too soon or too late to get them on a path to good oral hygiene and health. We’d like to get you started, so here are eight of our favorite tips that will help your kids build great dental habits:
Start Teaching Them Early
If you want dental care to become a natural part of your child’s life, then you should start early. Teaching them early on about the importance of brushing and flossing their teeth will help instill a lifelong desire to maintain proper dental care and oral health. You can also get started right away by wiping a baby’s gums with a soft, damp cloth to prevent tooth decay.
With a First Tooth, Go to the Dentist
Many parents are excited about their child getting their first tooth, and with good reason, but they don’t do that much about it. You need to remember that although baby teeth aren’t permanent, you definitely don’t want them to get any cavities if you can avoid it. As soon as the first tooth emerges, it’s time to visit the dentist. This will help prevent tooth loss, gum disease, and other issues.
Create a Regular Routine
The best way to ensure the dental health of a child is to get them started on a regular routine. Try to stick with a specific time for them to brush and floss in the morning and then again at night. Integrate these activities into other parts of their daily routine, such as getting ready for school and preparing for a bedtime story.
Pick Up Kid-Friendly Supplies
Every parent knows that a child gets very excited every time they see their favorite cartoon characters, YouTube personalities, or other live-action or animated entertainment. Allowing them to pick out toothbrushes, toothbrush holders, rinse cups, and other dental supplies will help keep them engaged. Luckily, you can find tons of supplies decorated with popular characters, including ones from Disney, Marvel, Sesame Street, etc., in addition to other favorites like animals, cars, and more.
Brush and Floss Together
At some point, you’ll want your child to become independent and be able to brush and floss on their own. Until they get to that point, however, it’s a good idea to share this activity together. Not only will this be a great bonding experience and keep them engaged, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to show them proper technique by example.
Include Music in the Routine
Music has been used for a very long time to engage children in education. This is evident in shows such as Sesame Street, Barney, The Wiggles, and several others. It doesn’t hurt to turn on some of their favorite music and play it while they’re brushing their teeth and flossing. You can also encourage them to brush their teeth along with the music, where each stroke matches the beat.
Feed Them a Nutritious Diet
Teaching kids to brush and floss regularly will do wonders for their dental health, but if they’re eating junk all the time, it’ll be a lot harder for them. We’re not saying that you have to strip your children of all desserts, but just be aware of the sugar and acidic content that they’re ingesting. Reducing their intake of sugary foods and beverages like donuts, fast food, sodas, sports drinks, and so on will improve their dental and overall health.
Reward Them for Good Habits
This is a tricky one because some parents will confuse the idea of rewards with bribes. It’s typically not a good idea to bribe children to brush their teeth or to do any other activities, but setting up a reward system works differently in both a psychological and physiological way. If you create some kind of reward chart with stickers and prizes, they’ll be more focused on dental tasks, which will quickly turn into having good dental habits throughout their lives.
To Improve Children’s Dental Health, Contact Dr. Ferullo
As an extremely popular and kid-friendly St. Petersburg dentist office, the office of Dr. Ferullo can help any parent improve their children’s dental health. If you would like to set up an appointment or have any questions about our free teeth whitening treatments, call our staff at (727) 822-8101 today.
