Does your child like to floss? If not, they’re certainly not alone! It’s no secret that flossing is not a popular pastime for children or adults. Learning to floss correctly takes time and practice, and it can feel awkward and frustrating if you’re not using effective strategies. Nonetheless, flossing is an essential part of keeping your child’s oral health on track for the rest of their life, so it’s important to teach them early! Try out some of these tips to make flossing easier, more effective, and more fun for both you and your child!
1.) Make Flossing Family Time
As the saying goes, “monkey see, monkey do!” By now you already know that children have a knack for copying what they see their parents doing. Put this to use by making flossing a family activity! Your child will be keener to floss if they see you flossing as well. Plus, you’ll be able to keep an eye on how well they floss and get some regular flossing in yourself!
2.) Use a Reward System
For children, visualizing their progress on a particular habit with a habit tracker can make a world of difference. Put a sticker on every day that they floss and set a goal for them that will award them a small prize. This way, they can see how close they are to their goal and stay motivated to floss regularly.
3.) Try Fun-Flavored Floss
Not everything that has to do with teeth needs to be mint flavored! Floss comes in a variety of fun flavors that your little one would enjoy, like watermelon, cherry, cotton candy, strawberry, and more! Mixing things up and adding a new, exciting flavor to their daily dental hygiene routine will keep things fresh. Your child may even be excited to floss if they really like the tasty new flavor!
4.) Use Dentist-Approved Flossing Tools
Children and adults alike often feel that maneuvering floss to all different parts of the mouth with the fingers is quite difficult. Of course, the more difficult and frustrating something is, the harder it will be to make it a habit. During your child’s next checkup, talk to your Nashua pediatric dentist about which flossing tools they recommend to make the job easier. There are a wide variety of picks and flossers out there that can take a lot of the hassle out of flossing, but it’s important that you choose one that’s recommended by a reputable source like your child’s dentist!
Teaching your child to floss shouldn’t be a battle. Try out these four tips to make teaching them this important healthy habit as fun as possible!
About the Practice
At Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we’re dedicated to caring for all the unique needs of the growing smiles of Nashua and the surrounding communities. Not only do our board-certified pediatric dentists provide specialized treatments for young patients, but we are passionate about working with parents on how to keep those precious smiles healthy at home and for many years to come. Our experienced team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about teaching your child to floss, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us online or at (603) 880-5002.