How to Keep Kids' Teeth Strong
Start early., Buy kid-friendly products., Break the process down into steps., Set a timer., Floss your child's teeth daily., Offer them a choice.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start early.
Children should start having their teeth brushed as soon as their first baby teeth appear.
This should also be when they first visit the dentist.
Lean your child against your lap or arms.Using a small toothbrush, take a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, and gently brush the child’s teeth.Afterwards, gently work a piece of floss around their teeth.
Do this twice a day until the child is ready to learn how to brush and floss on their own.
Children should continue to use a rice-grain sized amount of toothpaste until they are three years old.
When they are three, you should use a slightly larger, pea-sized amount.
This reduces the amount of toothpaste that they swallow.After the age of three, kids are able to spit the full amount of toothpaste, especially if they were used to brushing.
However, they will still need to use baby toothpaste, which has a lower percentage of fluoride. -
Step 2: Buy kid-friendly products.
There are special toothpastes and toothbrushes that are designed for use by children.
These come in bright colors, diverse flavors, and easy-to-handle sizes.
Look in your local grocery store, drug store, or pharmacy for branded children’s supplies.
Fluoride toothpaste is recommended for babies and children.
You can find some child-friendly toothpastes in your local drug store, pharmacy, or grocery store.Children should use toothbrushes with soft bristles.
This will be labeled on the package.
Use small, child-sized toothbrushes instead of adult toothbrushes.
These will fit in children’s small mouths and move around their growing teeth more easily. , When teaching your child to brush their teeth, you may find that they are struggling to remember everything.
Break the process down into easy steps that they can repeat every time they brush their teeth.
You may find that your children learn more quickly when you brush your teeth with them.
As you go through each step, demonstrate how to do it.For example, you can say, “First, we squeeze our toothpaste.
This how much we squeeze.
Next, we move the brush around our teeth.
Last, we spit out!” Show them as you tell them.
Always supervise kids when they are brushing and make sure that they do every step as you explained. , Children should continue brushing for two or three minutes.It might be tempting for a child to stop after a few seconds, so you should find ways to encourage them to keep brushing.
An easy way to do this is to set a timer on your phone.
Tell them that they must keep brushing until the timer goes off.
Another way to do this is to sing or play a song that lasts two or three minutes.
Your child should brush for the full length of the song.
Some toothbrushes will even play music for you.
Your child is supposed to brush their teeth as long as the music plays. , As soon as your baby's teeth start touching each other, you should start flossing.When they are old enough to follow directions, you can teach them how to floss themselves.
Hold the floss tightly between both hands, and gently work it up between the teeth towards the gumline.
Do not snap the floss into the gums because you may cause pain or even a small amount of bleeding that can scare your child enough to refuse flossing next time., Some children may be difficult to coerce into brushing their teeth twice a day.
One way that you can encourage them is to let them make choices about their dental care.There are many ways that you can incorporate this into their routine.
When you buy them new toothbrushes, let them decide which one they get.
There are many different designs for children, and they may be excited to use a toothbrush that they picked out themselves.
Buy a few flavors of toothpaste.
When it is time to brush their teeth, ask, “Do you want the bubblegum flavored toothpaste or the grape flavored toothpaste?” -
Step 3: Break the process down into steps.
-
Step 4: Set a timer.
-
Step 5: Floss your child's teeth daily.
-
Step 6: Offer them a choice.
Detailed Guide
Children should start having their teeth brushed as soon as their first baby teeth appear.
This should also be when they first visit the dentist.
Lean your child against your lap or arms.Using a small toothbrush, take a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, and gently brush the child’s teeth.Afterwards, gently work a piece of floss around their teeth.
Do this twice a day until the child is ready to learn how to brush and floss on their own.
Children should continue to use a rice-grain sized amount of toothpaste until they are three years old.
When they are three, you should use a slightly larger, pea-sized amount.
This reduces the amount of toothpaste that they swallow.After the age of three, kids are able to spit the full amount of toothpaste, especially if they were used to brushing.
However, they will still need to use baby toothpaste, which has a lower percentage of fluoride.
There are special toothpastes and toothbrushes that are designed for use by children.
These come in bright colors, diverse flavors, and easy-to-handle sizes.
Look in your local grocery store, drug store, or pharmacy for branded children’s supplies.
Fluoride toothpaste is recommended for babies and children.
You can find some child-friendly toothpastes in your local drug store, pharmacy, or grocery store.Children should use toothbrushes with soft bristles.
This will be labeled on the package.
Use small, child-sized toothbrushes instead of adult toothbrushes.
These will fit in children’s small mouths and move around their growing teeth more easily. , When teaching your child to brush their teeth, you may find that they are struggling to remember everything.
Break the process down into easy steps that they can repeat every time they brush their teeth.
You may find that your children learn more quickly when you brush your teeth with them.
As you go through each step, demonstrate how to do it.For example, you can say, “First, we squeeze our toothpaste.
This how much we squeeze.
Next, we move the brush around our teeth.
Last, we spit out!” Show them as you tell them.
Always supervise kids when they are brushing and make sure that they do every step as you explained. , Children should continue brushing for two or three minutes.It might be tempting for a child to stop after a few seconds, so you should find ways to encourage them to keep brushing.
An easy way to do this is to set a timer on your phone.
Tell them that they must keep brushing until the timer goes off.
Another way to do this is to sing or play a song that lasts two or three minutes.
Your child should brush for the full length of the song.
Some toothbrushes will even play music for you.
Your child is supposed to brush their teeth as long as the music plays. , As soon as your baby's teeth start touching each other, you should start flossing.When they are old enough to follow directions, you can teach them how to floss themselves.
Hold the floss tightly between both hands, and gently work it up between the teeth towards the gumline.
Do not snap the floss into the gums because you may cause pain or even a small amount of bleeding that can scare your child enough to refuse flossing next time., Some children may be difficult to coerce into brushing their teeth twice a day.
One way that you can encourage them is to let them make choices about their dental care.There are many ways that you can incorporate this into their routine.
When you buy them new toothbrushes, let them decide which one they get.
There are many different designs for children, and they may be excited to use a toothbrush that they picked out themselves.
Buy a few flavors of toothpaste.
When it is time to brush their teeth, ask, “Do you want the bubblegum flavored toothpaste or the grape flavored toothpaste?”
About the Author
Hannah Kelly
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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