Teaching children how to properly take care of their teeth helps them to stay healthy and keeps extra dental procedures, like getting cavities filled, to a minimum. In addition to saving them a lot of tooth-related grief, helping them learn how to take the best care of their chompers will save you a ton of time and money spent at the dentist’s office.
In addition to regular dental checkups and cleanings every six months, it’s important for your children to get into a great daily tooth brushing routine at home. Teaching them to spend three minutes properly brushing their teeth each morning and evening will keep their smiles beautiful and healthy.
Tools of the Trade
Kids need the right tools to brush their teeth, starting with a soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle children’s toothpaste. The soft bristles do a great job of cleaning their teeth without being too hard on their little gums and the more mellow flavor of the toothpaste won’t leave them with that sometimes harsh tingle that adult pastes can have. Also, flossing is an important step in proper oral care, and should be introduced early on. Finally, keeping a simple timer in the bathroom will encourage them to take their time and do a thorough job.
It’s All in the Technique
Set your child’s tooth brushing timer for three minutes. Apply a pea-sized dollop of toothpaste on her brush. Then she should start brushing the outside of her top teeth (only two or three teeth at a time) up and down at a 45 degree angle. When she’s brushing around her gums, she should switch to small circular motions. After the outside of her upper teeth are done, then she should move to the insides and finally the chewing surfaces. Then she should repeat the process on her bottom teeth – outside, inside, chewing surfaces.
Don’t Forget to Floss
Many kids resist flossing, because they’re afraid of hurting their gums. The key is to take it slowly as she’s easing the floss down between her teeth. For proper flossing, she should use about an 18 inch stretch of dental floss and wind it around her fingers until there are about 2 inches in between. She should gently slide the floss in between two teeth, starting at the back, and slide it up each tooth. Then when she moves the floss to her next two teeth, she can adjust the floss on her fingers again so she using clean floss between each set.
Teaching your children to properly brush their teeth is a lesson that will help them to stay healthy all their lives. It may take some time to get them into the habit of slowing down and doing a great job, but the payoff will last a lifetime.
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