Good oral hygiene is essential for preventing dental problems and ensuring your children have a healthy and beautiful smile. As a parent, you are responsible for teaching dental habits to your children from a young age. Remember, your children will reap the benefits of a sound dental care routine for years to come.
In the past year, 74.7% of Canadians sought the expertise of a dental professional. This figure is indicative of the nation’s overall dental health trends. However, it’s worth noting that females were more likely (77.1%) to have seen a dental professional than males (72.1%).
Navigating inculcating dental habits in children can be a bit challenging. Hence, this blog will discuss improving your children’s dental habits.
So, let’s get started!
- Start Early – Make It Exciting:
Findings indicate that a significant majority of Canadians, precisely 75%, visit a dental clinic annually. Moreover, a staggering 86% of Canadians make it a point to visit a dental clinic at least once every two years.
Developing good oral hygiene habits in your children early on will help you solidify them as the primary routine. We believe oral care should start as soon as possible, often before the child’s first tooth emerges. It would be best to clean their gums with a soft damp cloth or a finger brush to remove bacteria and food particles from their mouth daily before they start teething. This helps them slowly latch onto the concept of oral care.
Once they start teething, transition to an age-appropriate toothbrush. If your child is six months to 2 years old, choose a rubber toothbrush and brush them without any toothpaste. Once your child is 2 to 4 years old, encourage them to try brushing themselves. Use child-friendly toothpaste. Once your child understands the entire process and can brush and floss well, typically between 5-8 years, you can step back. By now, it will become a daily ritual for them. This is great for Preventing Gum Disease, cavities, mouth ulcers, and much more in the long run. However, if your child suffers from issues such as cavities, mouth ulcers, Early Childhood Caries (ECC), etc., please consult a dentist as soon as possible. We recommend The Dental Team in Canada as they are dedicated to providing quality dental care for children.
You can incorporate activities into your daily brushing and flossing routine to make dental care exciting. You can sing their favorite rhymes or even make a toothbrushing song together! You can also give them the liberty to choose their own toothbrush from various age-appropriate toothbrushes. They’re more likely to be excited about brushing their teeth with a colorful and animated toothbrush. It would also help if you allowed them to choose a child-friendly toothpaste with a flavor they like; it will make their dental care experience much more fun.
Moreover, be encouraging and praise them for consistently brushing and flossing. Introduce small rewards like stickers or unique bedtime stories so they consider dental care a rewarding experience. Consistency and creativity are vital for introducing your child to oral care.
2. Be Consistent:
Consistency is critical to developing good dental habits in children. When you set a regular schedule for oral care and make it an integral part of your routine, you instill the significance of dental hygiene in them from an early age.
You can start by establishing a consistent brushing schedule and making it a non-negotiable part of the day. This will help them know they must brush their teeth at specific times during the day. It would be best to encourage them to brush for two minutes and monitor them to ensure they brush every surface of the teeth and gum line. Establish a routine where they must brush their teeth when they wake up and before bedtime.
Show them how to floss gently and ensure they floss at least once daily. You don’t need to introduce flossing until they are about three years old. Flossing would help them remove any food particles or plaque from hard-to-reach areas. You could also make flossing a family activity and do it together.
Moreover, stress the importance of regular dental check-ups and cleanings to your children. Explain to them that it is essential to maintain healthy oral hygiene to avoid dental problems. Remember, consistency will help you make dental care a natural and expected part of their daily lives.
3. Schedule Regular Dental Visits:
Regular dental appointments help provide professional care and preventive measures that can help you maintain and improve your children’s long-term oral health. Dental appointments help you with the early detection of oral health problems. They can identify tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral problems that might not be apparent to a regular person. Detecting dental problems early helps implement interventions promptly and prevent their progression. It also helps you avoid any extensive and expensive treatments in the future.
Dental appointments can also help in thorough dental cleaning; they can remove plaque and tartar from hard-to-reach areas. It can help reduce any risk of cavities and gum disease. Moreover, dental appointments can also be an excellent opportunity for you to provide your children with oral health education. Dentists can guide them on proper brushing and flossing techniques, provide beneficial diet recommendations and address any questions and concerns.
This helps further stress the importance of oral hygiene for children and helps them adopt dental care habits proactively.
4. Be A Role Model:
Children learn by observing others around them, especially their parents. When you set a good example for them by following a dental care routine daily, you’ll slowly but surely promote their dental habits as well.
Make dental care a family ritual; involve your kids and make it fun. They should see you brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily. Show them how to brush and floss properly, whether brushing in small circular motions or flossing to reach all nooks and crannies. You should also explain the reason behind each step and the importance of good oral hygiene. This would encourage them to adopt these habits and educate them about oral health. Be gentle and patient with them, and ensure they use the correct brushing and flossing techniques.
Prioritize oral hygiene in front of your children. When children see their parents prioritize oral hygiene, it motivates them to include it in their routine, which transitions into a lifelong habit.
Bottom Line:
Promoting healthy dental habits in children is essential for their oral health and is the responsibility of parents. By starting oral care early on, making it exciting, and scheduling regular dental appointments, parents can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good oral health in children. Moreover, being a role model for them and exhibiting good dental habits to your children helps them be more open to dental care. Through these strategies, children develop habits of brushing and flossing which ultimately helps prevent dental problems like cavities and gum disease in the long run. Remember, a little effort in promoting dental habits today can impact your child’s oral health tomorrow.