As a parent, you understand how difficult it can be to find time for all you need to do. Because you are busy, focusing on establishing proper dental care habits with your children may be difficult. That’s why the dental team at Sparkling Smiles wants to help. We want to work with you to ensure your child develops strong dental hygiene habits to help them achieve long-term oral health. So, keep reading to learn more about how to teach your children to brush and floss properly.
Teaching Your Children to Brush
When your child is around six months old, their baby teeth will begin to appear. You can keep them clean at this stage by wiping them with a soft cloth. During this time, it’s a good idea to introduce them to a training toothbrush to get them used to holding and using a toothbrush.
When your children are toddlers and understand the concept of brushing their teeth, use only a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste because children tend to swallow the toothpaste more often than they spit it out.
Begin by letting them brush their teeth, then finish the brushing for them. Do this by holding the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and using circular strokes. Talk to your children about what you’re doing and why it’s important.
When your children are brushing, you can set a timer for them to look at or play music to encourage them to brush for two minutes. Some electric toothbrushes even come with a timer. The key is to make brushing fun for your kids.
Teaching Your Children to Floss
When your children’s teeth make contact with each other, you should introduce flossing into your dental hygiene routine. Do this by gently gliding the floss between their teeth, ensuring not to press too hard.
You can buy children’s floss picks in fun flavours and colours so they can begin to practice flossing when they’re old enough.
Looking for Children’s Dentistry in Neutral Bay?
If you would like to arrange an appointment for your child, the dental team at Sparkling Dental would love to hear from you. With the goal of oral health for every patient, we can offer tips on teaching your children to brush correctly and other dental care topics. You can reach our dental clinic at (02) 9953 0088.
We look forward to hearing from you.
