All parents want their children to be healthy and responsible. And hopefully – someday – without the need for reminders from mom or dad!
One of the best health behaviors a parent or loved one can instill in a child is to take care of their teeth. The healthier a child’s teeth, the more likely they’ll be healthier in other areas, such as digestion to resilience to illnesses. Strong, healthy teeth also help children feel more comfortable socializing and fitting in with their peers.
How do you help ensure the child or children in your life have healthy teeth – and keep them that way?
Habits form early
The earlier you begin showing a child how to brush (and eventually floss), the quicker it will become a habit. You should try and reinforce brushing in children by using routines. For example, have the child brush his or her teeth in the morning after breakfast and right before bedtime. That way, the child will be used to brushing his or her teeth at the same times every day.
If you’re successful, they will instinctively want to brush every time they are ready for bed or finish breakfast. And if you’re really successful, they’ll bring their routine with them to college and beyond!
Show them the proper way to brush
An important step to child dental care – and one that many parents forget – is to make sure children are brushing correctly. They need to be shown the proper way to hold a toothbrush, how long to brush, the movements of brushing, and how to rinse their mouths afterward.
You’ve been brushing your teeth and flossing for years, so you may take for granted the fact that the movements of brushing don’t come naturally to us. Taking the time now to teach the children in your life to brush properly will help ensure continued dental health for them – and for you, less money spend on fillings for cavities.
Preventive care
It’s also important that children and teens actually get to the dentist and receive dental care. Dentists can catch any issues with a child’s teeth and help address them before it’s too late. Unfortunately, more than half of children and teens do not see a dentist every year, according to a recently released study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Having damaged teeth at an early age will affect children and teens their whole lives, often before they understand the consequences of poor dental hygiene. That’s why children and teens should see the dentist at least twice a year for checkups and cleanings, and more if there are any problems.
You can bring the children in your life to our offices today to ensure their teeth are as healthy as they can be. Feel free to schedule an appointment and find out more about children’s dental care needs.
