There are so many important aspects of properly caring for your body. It’s important to be teaching your children good health practices so that they can form positive habits early on in their lives. Be sure to put a priority on maintaining good dental health.

There are a few ways to help encourage learning in your children as they are growing. Since kids learn by seeing and observing, make sure that you follow all the required dental practices so that they learn from you. Additionally, make it a point to take them for a dental check-up with a reputed san diego pediatric dentist (if that is where you live) at least twice annually.

A biannual dental check-up is the suggested norm for both, adults and kids. So, if this habit is established from a young age, they would surely follow it through their adult phase.

Brushing Teeth

If a tooth has emerged in your child’s mouth, it should be cleaned. Start brushing your child’s teeth with a smaller toothbrush and small amount of toothpaste. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using about a grain of rice-sized amount of toothpaste. Once they are older that size can increase accordingly.

Running the toothbrush under warm water before brushing can make the bristles softer. This can make it more comfortable.

Brush your child’s teeth twice a day. Once in the morning and then once at night before bedtime. As they get older, make sure they continue this practice on their own. To help children form good brushing habits, Hawley Lane Dental has produced a brushing chart. You can print the chart off and mark off the days to make brushing teeth fun. Add some incentive to make it something they look forward to doing.

Flossing

When children are young, the baby teeth often have space between them that brushing can take care of most of the plaque removal. Once they get older and their adult teeth come in, it’s important to help them start flossing. If you make a habit of flossing yourself, they will likely follow your example.

Visiting a Dentist

Start visiting a dentist early in your children’s lives. Make sure to pick a Monrovia Pediatric Dentist (or one where you live) as they often expertise in children’s oral health and can help your child(ren) better. If a child visits a dentist regularly in their lives, it will be more natural for them to do so when they are older. Dentists can help identify issues early and create preventative plans so that there aren’t more serious issues in their dental health later.

Like many aspects of health, it’s important to consult with a qualified medical professional when you have questions. When it comes to questions about your children’s oral health, reach out to your dentist and get the direction that you need.