Teaching your children to care about their teeth is an important role every parent should prioritize.
This February, in honor of Children’s Dental Hygiene Month, we are going to highlight a few important facts about children’s oral health and how to keep your little one excited about their smile.
Let’s take a look!
A Guide to Kid’s Dental Health
Although your newborn doesn’t have chompers yet, their little mouths are still a focus! Your doctor will instruct you to wipe your babies’ gums with gauze twice a day until their baby teeth begin to erupt. Once their teeth begin to appear, you should be brushing their teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush designed for kids.
To keep your child’s smile healthy, you should:
- Visit the dentist on a regular basis as soon as their baby teeth begin to appear. Just like you, kid’s should receive a professional cleaning twice a year to remove plaque buildup.
- Monitor your child’s brushing and make sure they are hitting the back of their molars. Kids under the age of 6 should receive a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
- Feed your child a well-balanced diet of fruits, veggies, and protein. Cut back on sugar and processed carbohydrate meals.
- Make the task of brushing a fun one. Create a chart for tracking progress with stickers or come up with a brushing jingle. These kinds of activities will make your youngster want to pick up their toothbrush.
4 Ways to Keep Your Child Excited About Oral Health
- Develop oral health activities. Dental related crafts, books, and games can hold their interest. Check out this list of brushing activities for kids.
- Purchase fun brushing supplies. Invest in colorful toothpaste and brushes based off of cartoon characters.
- Offer an incentive. A trip to the park or an extra bedtime story before lights out? Motivating your child with these kinds of rewards will make them want to properly clean their mouth.
- Lead by example. Of course, if you practice good oral health, your child is more likely to follow suit.
Keep the Excitement Alive
Oral health is a commitment every day that can keep your child healthy. Don’t forget to try some of these tools at home to keep your family’s oral hygiene in good shape. Happy Children’s Dental Hygiene Month!