As a parent, you have been teaching your child everything since they were infants. You instinctively teach your children the importance of healthy foods, keeping their environments picked up, how to wash their hands, and how to clean their bodies. Teaching your children how to take care of their teeth comes with the parental territory. When your children are able to use fine motor skills well enough to scrape their toothbrushes across their teeth, you can begin instilling good oral hygiene habits in your children. Pointing your children in the right direction and holding their hand until they are capable of taking charge of their oral health will give your children an invaluable gift of good oral health habits leading to an overall healthy lifestyle.

Tell them why it is important

Children can have different ways of processing information and ultimately, learning new habits and lessons. First, explaining to your children why oral hygiene is important can go a long way. Using phrases like, “We wash our bodies to keep them healthy, we clean scraped knees with soap and water so sores do not get infected. We also need to keep our teeth clean so our mouths stay healthy. And just like other soap, toothpaste is a special soap for our mouths. We never swallow soap and that includes toothpaste.”  Also, tell your children:

• What happens when your teeth are neglected
• What a cavity is
• What plaque is and what it feels like on your teeth. “If it feels like your teeth are wearing socks, it’s time to brush the plaque off until they feel slick and clean.”
• The importance of brushing your tongue
• How food can get stuck between teeth and need to be flossed.
• Show your children pictures of teeth that are not taken care of so they know what is at risk when they do not brush their teeth

Show your kids how

Kids are excellent at copying the behaviors and habits of their parents. They may try to wear your shoes around the house or soap up their faces and pretend to shave. Use their natural desire to be like you to instill good oral hygiene habits.

• Invite them to brush their teeth with you in the morning.
• Make sure your children are aware that you brush your teeth both morning and night.
• Show them how to tilt their brush at a slight angle so the bristles gently touch the gums and clean where the teeth and gums meet.
• Routinely look at your children’s teeth and point out places they routinely miss. Sometimes children and adults alike create habits that could accidentally exclude spots when brushing. Making your children aware of places that look more yellowed or may have developed hardened plaque can help them learn to address these spots and set good brushing habits.

Find a kid-friendly dentist

When researching a dentist for your child, there are several things to consider before deciding which dentist is the right one. You will want to know how the dental staff and dentist interact with children and if they are experienced with treating children. Finding a friendly, comforting dental office to introduce your child to can give them the foundation they need to carry on good oral hygiene habits and schedule routine appointments throughout their lives.

If you are in St. Augustine, FL, and are seeking a dentist that treats the entire family, give Dental Remedies a call to set your children on the right path for their oral health.