Instilling good dental care for children is not a walk in the park. In some days, getting children to brush and floss can be a constant struggle; in some days, it can be easy as a breeze.And the secret to that is to have the right strategy and tools to help make promoting good oral care for kids easier.
Good oral hygiene starts with educating the parents and the children regarding the importance of proper brushing technique and dental care.Parents should know that brushing their child’s own teeth is quite different than brushing their own teeth. It is up to the dentist to teach parents regarding the proper technique and timeline. Starting them young actually helps make it much easier. In fact, promoting good oral habits is best even before the first tooth pops up. Though brushing may be too harsh at this age, dentists recommend using a wet gauze for a softer clean. They can start using a small amount of toothpaste as soon as the first tooth appears. Dentists recommend to use fluoride toothpaste using only a small amount before three years old and a pea-sized amount after the age of three.
For children below five years old, it helps to still assist your children when brushing. Parents can do this until their about eight years old. Though it helps to let them participate in brushing their teeth, you still need to make sure that they covered everything. A helpful advice on when to let them brush on their own is take cues on their motor skill. Children’s ability to brush is part of developed motor skill. So, when they are able to tie their shoes, then they will be able to handle brushing their teeth properly.
The challenge now is to make the children excited about brushing their teeth. Make the dental care a bonding experience. It helps to demonstrate to the child how to actually brush properly. Children learn better when they see it for themselves. It keeps everyone engaged. Try to make it a fun and creative instead of a dull activity. Give it an emotional tie and make it something that you do together as a family. It helps give your children a strong foundation for good oral hygiene.
It also helps to have the right tools to make it more fun and exciting for the children. You can find children’s electric toothbrush that comes with blinking lights or vibrating motion that signals children about the brushing timeline. There are even mobile apps that are compatible to the electric tooth brush that will keep them entertained and remind the about the proper way of brushing in a fun manner. This is great for the kids since it will turn brushing into a fun and interactive activity.
There are a lot of tools and applications out there, which you can use for your advantage. No matter what you choose, make sure both the parents and the children are paying close attention to the complete dental care routine right from the start. After all, dental health is an important factor in overall health and wellbeing.
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