As a parent, you should want what’s best for your child—and this includes making sure their smile is healthy and radiant moving forward, given all the benefits that a beautiful grin has to offer. That said, caring for teeth begins early in life, and it’s up to you to ensure that your child is getting off on the right foot, or in the case, the right tooth! Keep reading for five useful tips from your pediatric dentist that’ll help you keep your child’s brushing habits on track.
1. Start Brushing Before the Baby Teeth Come In
This may come as a surprise, but you should actually start brushing your child’s baby teeth before they come in! You can use a clean washcloth to gently wipe down your baby’s gums after feeding sessions to prevent bacterial growth. Between 6 months to 14 months of age, the baby teeth usually begin to erupt—at this time, you can switch to a gentle toothbrush that’s designed for infants.
2. Teach Your Child Why Oral Hygiene Matters
If your child is old enough to understand the value of oral hygiene, you should try to explain it in terms that will help them understand why it’s important to brush those baby teeth—even though they’ll eventually fall out! Dental-themed toys and books can sometimes help to teach these lessons. At the end of the day, if they understand why they need to care for their smile, the good habits are more likely to stick.
3. Enforce the Correct Brushing Technique
You should try to teach your child the proper technique for brushing their teeth; while this process is automatic for most adults, this is not the case for children! Teach them to brush in small, circular motions, going over every tooth and also brushing the gums. They should brush for 2 minutes each session, twice a day.
4. Make Brushing a Fun Family Activity
Kids often hate doing chores—and doing things that feel like chores, which is a category that oral hygiene can unfortunately sometimes fall under. That said, you can make brushing a fun family activity that hopefully spices up the habit for your child. Brush with your child while playing music or humming a tune, or create a game out of brushing itself. Children will take after adults, so if you approach brushing with a positive attitude, so will your kiddo!
5. Find a Trusted Pediatric Dentist
Ideally, children should see their dentist by their first birthday—even if you’re doing a great job at home caring for their smile! These early exams are pretty important, as they allow your child’s provider to keep early tabs on your little one’s growing smile. Better yet, their dentist can further help educate and guide you on how to care for your child’s smile at home and give you brushing tips and tricks that will prove useful.
About the Practice
Our team here at Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics has proudly served families in the Nashua, NH community for several years under the leadership of Dr. Mina Kalali, Dr. Sam Alkhoury, and Dr. Myles Clancy. We’re excited to offer a wide range of pediatric dental and orthodontic treatments for children of all ages! If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to schedule a visit for your child, feel free to visit us online or give us a call today for additional information or assistance. Telephone: (603) 255-7955.