The oral health of your child is more important than you might think! In fact, tooth decay is one of the most common health issues in children, so it's important to ensure that your kids develop great oral habits at an early age. Encouraging habits for healthy teeth and gums will promote health throughout their entire lives! Here's some tips on how you can start helping your child to develop great oral health habits:
- Start early: Just like any habits for your kids, starting early is a great way to ensure that they stick with it. At first of course you will have to brush and floss their teeth for them, and this helps your son or daughter get comfortable with the idea of cleaning their teeth. Then, once able, they can take over and start brushing on their own!
- Use children's products: Children's oral care products aren't just cute- they are also made for the comfort and health of children specifically. The smaller brushes are more effective in smaller mouths, and fluoride tooth pastes are often made with tasty flavors. This helps to encourage kids to not only actually brush their teeth, but to brush longer!
- Healthy foods: Giving your kids healthy foods isn't just beneficial to their overall health, but also very specifically to their oral health! Keeping to a healthy diet helps to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Limiting sugar intake and drinking lots of water is a great place to start, and keeping healthy snacks available for your kids will make eating healthy much easier.
- Don't brush too hard: It doesn't take too much pressure to thoroughly clean a child's teeth, so be sure to stay gentle when you're teaching your kids to brush. Brushing too hard can cause damage to the gums, and possibly more severe issues down the road.
- Model great oral health: As a parent, you know that your kids observe and follow your actions regularly! Make sure you're keeping up with your own oral health, and brush and floss with your children so they know how important it is. Plus, you have to keep your teeth healthy too!
Kids Dentist Wilmington DE
If you have any questions about helping your kids develop great oral health habits, feel free to contact our office today for more information! We look forward to helping you and your family stay healthy, and our friendly staff can help you schedule an appointment for cleanings for the whole family!
