Your Child’s Oral Health Future: Why Brushing and Flossing is so Important
When it comes to keeping your child’s oral health in good shape, poor brushing and flossing routines can be a major obstacle. For great oral health, our youngest generations need to embrace the importance of brushing and flossing at an early age. It’s been found that many kids are brushing and flossing less than twice a day. This can have a big impact on their overall oral health and their oral health future.
While parents, grandparents and caregivers understand the importance of frequent brushing and flossing, it can be difficult to teach our children about the importance of brushing and flossing. With brushing and flossing being such a big part of a child’s oral health, I’ve heard many people ask how they can get their children to brush and floss twice a day. It’s a common question and one that isn’t easy to answer. Each child is different. But our team discussed this question and looked to identify a few ways we could help get children brushing and flossing more regularly. Here’s what we came up with:
1. Trading places
Many parents and caregivers brush and floss their children’s teeth at an early age. This can be a difficult task. We thought it could be fun to reverse roles. Why not let your child brush and floss your teeth? This switch can be a fun experience for them. It also can help you teach them the correct way to take care of their teeth. This experiment can then get your youngster excited about brushing and flossing their own teeth. Try it out and see what happens!
2. Make it collaborative
Instead of prying your way in and making brushing and flossing your child’s teeth feel like a chore, try making it more of a team effort. Try brushing and flossing their teeth for 30 seconds, then let them brush and floss for 30 seconds. Repeat this exercise at least twice. This style make it feel more like an activity you’re doing together rather than a chore.
3. Leaning on others
If your child is adamantly against brushing and flossing, it might be time to switch up the messenger. While it’s important to discuss the importance of brushing and flossing with you kid, you might want to think about getting the same message to them in different ways. Perhaps call your local Toronto dentist and tell them what’s going on. During the next visit, your Toronto dentist could reaffirm the importance of brushing and flossing. You can also look into relying on fun books, friends and other family members to subtly share the same message. If they begin hearing it from everyone – and not just their parents – the message could sink in.