A beautiful smile is important to all of us, and building healthy oral hygiene habits EARLY are the way to get there. No matter their age, right now is the very best time to help your child build healthy habits! Here are our Top Tips for Terrific Teeth!
Brush Your Teeth: 2×2
Encourage your child to brush twice a day for two minutes. It’s the official recommendation of the American Dental Association, and we happen to agree! Do your kids resist the twice a day routine? Here are a few tips!
- Use a Toothbrush Chart! Let your kiddo earn a sticker for every time they brush! Offer a special treat (like a fun toothbrush!) when they brush 2×2 for a week or a month! Click here too see our Pinterest board with a bunch of fun free printables to help your little remember to brush their teeth 2×2!
- Let your kids choose a fun tooth brush! We think fun toothbrushes make great treats! As long as it has the ADA seal of approval, a fun character toothbrush can be the perfect incentive for building good brushing habits! Super heroes, cartoon characters, and princesses play a big part in our kids’ lives so why not leverage those interests to make brushing fun!
- Set a good example! Just like reading or adding pennies to the piggy bank, taking good care of your teeth is a learned behavior, and when kids see us brushing and flossing, they see how important it is! It may seem weird to brush your teeth right alongside your child, but it will make an impression!
Flossing: NOT just the latest dance craze!
Brushing is great, but it’s best paired with daily flossing for a true one-two punch of dental health! Flossing gets in between teeth in spaces our toothbrushes just can’t reach. But don’t stick just anything in there! Dental pics, string floss, and water flossers are the best options for keeping those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies clean! Click here to read up on ADA recommendations for flossing and a great how-to video!
Help ’em Out!
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again! Kids need your help with brushing from infancy through the infamous “I do it myself!” phase and straight on until age 8. Whether they start and you finish or you take turns morning and night, make sure you are a big part of the tooth-brushing routine until your kiddo really gets the hang of it!
Go Easy on the Sweets
Yes, yes, we know … chocolate. It’s delicious! But when we allow sugary treats to sit on our teeth, sugar bugs get their favorite treat, too, and then they can wreak havoc on our pearly whites! We recommend limiting sweet treats and making sure to brush really well after! And a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals isn’t a bad idea either. We are what we eat, right?
Visit Your Favorite Dentist Twice a Year
Regular check-ups give your dentist the opportunity to see where your kids are brushing and where they aren’t! Your dental team will find any trouble areas and give the best advice on next steps if further treatment is necessary.
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Good oral hygiene habits are easy and really just common sense, but when we take the time to teach our kids the right way to take care of their teeth at an early age, they’re more likely to keep up those habits and keep sharing those amazing healthy smiles for years to come!
