Teaching Children Good Dental Habits
Learning proper dental habits early will set children up for a lifetime of good dental care. One of the most important things that we should teach our children is good brushing habits. It is also important that children learn how to floss their teeth. Timely dental visits are crucial to keeping children's teeth healthy.
There are many items on the market today that help to make dental care easy and enjoyable for children of all ages. Motorized tooth brushes can be helpful for removing plaque. Children tend to brush in short burst and they don't have the attention to detail that adults do. The motorized tooth brushes that pulsate or rotate can come in handy in this situation. These tooth brushes come in a variety of colors and shapes. Many of them have characters from cartoons and movies on them. Giving a child a tooth brush with a character from their favorite movie as a gift is a great way to encourage them to brush their teeth more often.
When we are teaching our children to brush their teeth it is important that we encourage them to brush for the proper amount of time. Dentist's recommend that children brush their teeth for two minutes, three times daily. Teaching children to sing a song in their head while brushing their teeth can help. If they only know how to sing a short song, that is okay. Have the child repeat the song the proper number of times to achieve two minutes. Be patient and encouraging. Two minutes can seem like a long time to small children. This is especially true if they have something else they would rather be doing.
Child Dental Care
Making sure our children are brush their teeth for two minutes is a good start. It is also important that we teach them to how to brush all areas of their mouth. Teach them to brush the front and back of their teeth, as well as the chewing surfaces. It may help to break the mouth down into quadrants. Brush the top left for 30 seconds, then the top right for 30 seconds. Repeat the same procedure with the bottom teeth. There are some toothbrushes on the market that actually beep every 30 seconds to remind children to change quadrants.
If you feel that your children are still missing areas when they are brushing their teeth consider investing in some disclosing tablets. These tablets can be purchased at your local drug store. You may also find them at your local discount supermarket. The cherry flavoring is pleasant for most children. When the child chews the tablet it leaves behind a pink stain on any plaque. This will help the child to identify the areas that he or she is missing. The teeth can then be brushed again and the stain will go away.
There are a number of mouthwashes marketed for children as well. These can be helpful in fighting bad breath. They can also be helpful if there is no fluoride in your drinking water. Most of them come in child friendly flavors such as strawberry and bubblegum. Just remember that mouthwash is not a supplement for good brushing.
It is important that children learn to floss their teeth as well. Floss picks can be helpful for children with small fingers. They are much easier for the child to maneuver than a long piece of string. Floss picks come in a variety of shapes and colors and can be purchased at your local drug store as well. Have the child floss between each tooth, going as far down into the gum line as they can. You may find that this is further than expected. Getting deep into the gum line is crucial for preventing cavities and gum disease.
There are many time that children would rather do something other than brush their teeth. It is important that we pull them away from what they are doing to make sure their teeth get a good cleaning daily. If children learn to have good oral hygiene early, they will continue their good habits as adults.
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