Caring for your child’s teeth is greatly different from caring for your own teeth.
In order for your child to enjoy their pearly whites for life, it’s critical to introduce good habits early in life. Hampden Dental Group has you covered! To celebrate Children’s Dental Hygiene Month, which is the month of February, we’ve outlined the basics of kids’ dental hygiene care and provided a list of five ways to get your children excited about taking care of their teeth.
Crash Course in Children’s Oral Health
From the time your baby first arrives, you should start keeping their mouth healthy. This means wiping their gums using a cloth or piece of gauze twice daily. Then, as their teeth begin to erupt, brush them twice a day using a soft-bristled brush designed specifically for young children.
Some other important notes on kids’ dental health include the following:
- Make sure your child eats a balanced meal and limit their consumption of sugary and starchy foods.
- Within six months of their first tooth’s appearance, begin bringing your child to the dentist every six months.
- Ensure that every day, your child’s teeth are flossed to remove the buildup between teeth.
- Children’s teeth should be brushed twice a day. In children younger than six, use a pea-sized amount of paste.
- If your child is old enough to brush on their own, make sure they are doing a proper job and reaching their back molars.
- When you eat, bacteria called plaque collects in your mouth. This eats away at your teeth. If you leave plaque on your teeth for too long, it can harden into tarter, which can only be removed by a professional cleaning.
Don’t expect your kids to get excited about their hygiene just by employing proper care techniques. For best results, it’s important to engage them with fun techniques. To get you started, try our list below!
Ways to Get Children Excited About Dental Health
- Create Teeth Activities: Using teeth-related crafts and activities,get kids learning about teeth in a way that feels like play. Here are some to begin with.
- Use Fun Supplies: Teeth brushing is more fun with a super hero toothbrush and bubblegum paste.
- Sing Along: Sing songs about oral hygiene with your child. We love the songs on this playlist.
- Lead by Example: Make sure you tell your child you brush your own teeth twice a day and have a blast doing it. Your child will want to join in.
- Offer a Reward: Reward your child’s good habits with non-candy prizes like a trip to the park, a certificate, or an outing with a friend.
Keep the Excitement Alive
Good dental health skills should last more than one month—teeth last a lifetime with proper care! Remind your child to keep dental health on their radar all year.