Caring for our health is a vital part of our well-being – taking care of yourself is an important lesson for children to learn at an early age. By making oral health care fun from the start, you can support your child in creating good habits that will last a lifetime.
Healthy teeth and gums mean more than just a beautiful smile. By following a good routine, your child can prevent tartar build-up, cavities, and bad breath.
Tips to Make Oral Health Care Fun
Enjoy these tips from our friends at Oral-B to help make brushing and flossing a fun family affair!
- Monitor children younger than 8 years old
- Make sure they use no more than a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when brushing their teeth and be sure that they spit out the toothpaste rather than swallowing it when they’re done brushing.
- Make oral care a family event.
- Brush and floss your own teeth at the same time as your child. You are setting a good example and demonstrating the correct techniques for brushing and flossing.
- At night, get together in the bathroom to brush your teeth for the recommended two minutes. Play your favorite song (which is usually around two minutes) and brush together for the duration of the song.
- Buy the right size.
- Choose a toothbrush that is the right size and design for your child’s level of development
- Develop a Reward System
- Children should brush their teeth twice a day and floss daily, so try keeping track of your child’s brushing on a calendar by the sink with gold stars. If there are two stars for each day at the end of the week, play their favorite game on Friday night as a special prize.
- Bring Variety to Brushing
- Let your children choose different kinds of fluoride toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss to keep in the bathroom so that they can have options each time they brush.
Dr. Mansour and our dental team are always available to address any questions you may have about how to best support your child’s dental health. If you need to talk to our team or are ready to schedule your child’s first dental appointment, call our office at (248) 852-3130 and we can get your child started on the right track for a lifetime of good dental health.
