How to Teach Children the Importance of a Good Oral Hygiene Routine

When you are a parent with small children it can often be difficult to implement proper teeth cleaning routines for yourself let alone your children when you are so busy.  That is why we are here at Esthetic Family Dentistry, to help you through the chaos of everyday life, with some helpful tips on how to keep your smile dazzling all day long.

Why You Should Make Healthy Baby Teeth a Priority

Although your child’s teeth will eventually be replaced with their permanent adult teeth, that does not mean that your child’s baby teeth shouldn’t be taken care of like you would their adult teeth. Your child’s baby teeth are what we would consider place holders until their new teeth are fully developed.The baby teeth allow your child to chew without difficulty, talk with ease, and smile that is your absolute favorite smile to see every day. A good rule of thumb is to implement a daily routine where you brush and floss at least twice a day for your little one. This will help you keep your child’s teeth healthy and happy.

Start Building Healthy Lifelong Brushing Habits Early

Sometimes it is hard to teach young children the importance of brushing your teeth daily. It is hard for them to understand why they must do this every day when all they want to do is go play and burn their endless amounts of energy. Helping them understand why it is important early on will lead to healthy oral hygiene habits later in life and ultimately fewer visits to the dentist other than regular checkups and cleanings.

Here are a few helpful tips that can make brushing your child’s teeth a little easier.

• Make Brushing a Priority - Setting the mood when brushing your child’s teeth is important because if they feel like you are perceiving brushing their teeth is an inconvenience they too will not want to brush their teeth. You need to let them know this is an important part of their daily routine that they should not skip.
• You Don’t Need a Bathroom to Brush Your Teeth - Brushing your teeth can happen anywhere if you have a proper toothbrush. Sometimes with our busy schedules, brushing your child’s teeth right where they are is easier than dragging them to the bathroom to get them to brush. It will save you and your child time and frustration.
• Toothpaste Isn’t Always Necessary - Whether you run out of toothpaste at home, are on the go, or just can’t find it. It is perfectly okay to brush with water until you can get more. Other good toothpaste alternatives are saltwater, or you can make a paste out of baking soda and water that can substitute as toothpaste for the time being.
• Let them Pick Out Their Brush – One way to keep your children interested in brushing their teeth is to allow them to pick out toothbrushes of their choice with their favorite characters or favorite flavor of toothpaste. This could make brushing their teeth a little more enjoyable.
• Make Brushing Their Teeth Fun - The more you incorporate fun and positivity into brushing your teeth with your children the more they will start to enjoy spending this time with you every day.

If you ever have any questions about brushing your child’s teeth you can always reach out to the experts at Esthetic Family Dentistry. As we would be happy to help with all your dental needs.