5 Tips for Parents Teaching Their Children about Oral Hygiene
Getting your kids to keep their teeth healthy is a crucial part of parenting. They might think that they’re just brushing their teeth for no reason other than for you to exercise your authority over them. You know this isn’t true, but you can’t just expect them to know that. Once they have an idea of the importance of brushing their teeth, they may be more motivated to have a rouitine for their oral hygiene. Here are five tips for parents teaching their children about oral hygiene.
Start Them Early
You won’t be expected to teach your kids the ins and outs of their teeth as soon as they forming, but you can give them a good relationship with their chompers early. As their teeth start to come in, have them be as aware as possible of them and how they feel (this will definitely be possible during teething). You should help them with brushing their teeth when the need to start that task. Make it fun for them so that it’s something they look forward to. There are games and songs and different things that make for a fun time at the sink.
Show Them Your Teeth
Your teeth will be impressive to your children, as they are bound to be bigger and more developed. In order to demonstrate to your children how important proper oral hygiene is, you need to show them how it allowed your teeth to flourish. If your teeth aren’t healthy, you can use this as an opportunity to give them a cautionary tale about what will happen if they’re not careful. Learning from other’s mistakes is a powerful way of learning.
Teach Them about Cavities
Brushing their teeth might not be much fun for your kids, but it’s certainly a more enjoyable experience than getting cavities filled. Cavities come from neglecting brushing and flossing as a certain part of the tooth becomes damage. You don’t want to scare your kids, but you can show them how cavities can become a big problem if they don’t keep up brushing and flossing.
Have Them Floss Early
Flossing is an essential part of the original hygiene process and one that so many people neglect. As soon as your child has space in their teeth for floss, they should be flossing. While you will need to guide them at first (to prevent choking), they will eventually be able to develop a strong habit that will keep their gums and teeth free from bacteria.
Take Them to the Dentist
A strong relationship with a dentist such as John P Poovey DMD PC is necessary for life. Find a family dentist to take your children to. They’ll feel better about keeping their teeth in shape if they know that someone is championing them to do so. They might even eagerly anticipate getting their teeth cleaned.
We hope this has given you a great idea of how to teach your children about oral hygiene. You want to do all you can to keep their teeth and mouths fresh and beautiful. With these tips, you can have them smiling for all sorts of reasons.
