The best way to guarantee healthy teeth for your little ones is to bring them to Elevate Smile Design for biannual dental visits and teach them to brush and floss their teeth every day. Flossing is often the biggest battle of these three oral care essentials. But if you can help your children make flossing a habit in the beginning, they’ll thank you later. Read on for tips to help your kids learn to floss, and stick with it. And if you don’t know why flossing is so important, or what skipping it is leaving you at risk for, we’re here as a resource. Give us a call with any questions!
- Start Them Early
- Teach by Example
- Make It Fun
Once your child has two teeth touching, it’s time to start flossing! Don’t delay–get your child accustomed to daily flossing as soon as possible. Manipulating string floss can be difficult for tiny, inexperienced hands so you will need to floss for your child until around six or seven years old, when they develop enough dexterity. If string floss is too frustrating for your child, consider incorporating other flossing tools that work for your family, such as made-for-kids water flossers or floss picks.
If you regularly floss your own teeth in front of your child, not only will you show them flossing is important to you, but they can learn from you exactly how it’s done. Moreover, be sure to tell them why you floss and why they need to floss too! Explain that flossing cleans out the food particles and “sugar bugs” from between teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. Though it may not resonate with them at first, continue to stress the benefits of daily dental care so they will eventually understand that both brushing and flossing will keep their teeth and gums healthy, strong, and pain-free.
There are a lot of ways to make brushing and flossing feel like less of a chore. Kid-friendly toothbrushes and fun-flavored floss are available to make the tasks a little more exciting. Grab your smartphone and put on a favorite four to five minute song or YouTube video to keep your children entertained. This also serves as a sort of timer, ensuring enough long enough is spent on your child’s oral hygiene. If your child is extremely reluctant to brush and floss, work out some sort of reward system, such as a sticker chart or putting beans into a jar after a successful oral care routine and having a special family outing or surprise once the jar is full.
If your child is struggling to master this important dental hygiene skill, our Elevate Smile Design team is here to help. Contact us to plan your child’s next visit!
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