Tooth decay in a child can lead to absenteeism, poor concentration in school, low self-esteem, challenges eating, avoidance of smiling, and adverse effects on the minor’s physical health. That is why you should be at the forefront of teaching children about keeping their smiles, mouths, gums, and teeth healthy. Luckily, you do not have to be a dentist to succeed. This blog post has compiled various strategies to make learning exciting and teaching seamless.

Key Practices to Teach

Some of the oral health practices to teach your children include the following:

  • Flossing their teeth — Flossing helps remove food between the teeth and below the gumline, where a toothbrush cannot reach. If your child fails to floss, tartar and plaque will build up, and if left unaddressed, this could increase the chances of developing gum disease and cavities. You should start teaching your child how to floss once their teeth begin to fit closely together. Floss the teeth once a day.
  • Tooth brushing — When teaching your child how to brush, it is wise to brush them first. Most children do not have the motor skills to remove plaque effectively. When brushing their teeth, stand behind them and allow them to hold their toothbrush. Inquire how they feel. If they are hurt, stop to prevent irritating their gums. If the toddler does not like brushing, sit on the floor or bed and have them lie with the head on your lap. Ensure you brush their teeth twice a day.
  • Eating healthy foods — One of the best things you can do for your child, outside promoting proper dental health hygiene practices, is to empower them to make nutritional dietary decisions. Fostering a well-balanced and healthy diet for your child from formative years develops a habit that leads to a lifetime of strong teeth and better general health. Healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, proteins, and calcium sources.
  • Drinking fluoridated water
  • Importance of dental visits — Plan the baby’s first visit to the dental office after they turn one year old.

Benefits of Teaching Your Child Good Oral Hygiene

Children’s baby teeth are crucial to their dental development and overall health as they grow. Introducing and teaching your baby proper dental hygiene also helps:

  • Prevents decay and gum disease — Cavities, commonly called tooth decay, is a prevalent chronic childhood disease. Poor dental hygiene practices like insufficient flossing and irregular brushing could lead to the buildup of bacteria and plaque, which cause decay and gum disease. Educating your baby to brush twice daily using fluoride toothpaste and floss daily can significantly lower the potential risk of oral issues. Routine dental visits and professional teeth cleaning are also crucial for identifying early indications of tooth decay or any other dental health challenges.
  • Building a lifetime of healthy habits — Habits formed during formative years carry over into adulthood. When you instill good oral hygiene practices early, you cultivate a sense of self-care and responsibility in your child that goes beyond dental health to general well-being.
  • Teaching children the benefits of oral hygiene helps them know the importance of taking care of their general health.
  • Finally, proper oral hygiene will help your child save money in the long run. Following these habits early can reduce the need for expensive dental treatments later in life.

Ways to Teach Your Child Good Oral Hygiene

While teaching your child how to take care of their teeth might seem challenging, the effort of instilling these habits is worthwhile. The section below discusses different ways to teach your child oral health practices.

Get Your Whole Family Involved

As a parent, you should know that your child is always observing and picking up the habits based on your conduct more than your words. Therefore, you should not downplay the significance of leading by example matters in oral health. Demonstrate to your baby why maintaining a daily dental routine is beneficial, and let them observe and participate as you brush and floss. Your child is more likely to follow suit when they see how you take daily measures to care for gums, teeth, and oral health.

Other tips to make this successful include the following:

  • Supervise and provide assistance — Until the baby is about seven or eight years old, the child could need assistance flossing and brushing to ensure thorough cleaning.
  • Play music they like — You can transform your child's morning and nighttime dental care routine by putting on your child’s favorite music. Music also helps you keep track of the time.
  • Using an app

Allow the Minor to Choose Their Toothpaste and Toothbrush

Your child should be enthusiastic enough about taking care of their oral health.  If they floss or brush whenever you are looking over their shoulders, there could be a likelihood that they might quit the habit later in life.

Part of early childhood oral education is empowering the juvenile. You can achieve this by involving the minor in oral health decisions. You can allow them to choose their toothpaste and toothbrush. This permits them to be active participants and makes them excited about brushing. When children love a toothbrush, they will want to use it often.

When purchasing toothpaste, ensure you get fluoride toothpaste with the ADA seal of approval.

Tell the Child about the Importance of Proper Oral Hygiene Practices

Explain to the minor what will occur when they fail to brush or floss their teeth often or well. Discuss what tooth cavities are, what causes cavities, and how to avoid them.

Avoid using “injure” or “pain” when discussing a pediatric dentist. Instead, use favorable and kid-friendly terms when giving them an overview of the importance of oral hygiene.

Children pick up on their parents’ emotions. If you are anxious about the dental appointments, the child will likely feel the same. Remain calm, confident, and positive when explaining the visit and what to expect.

Organizing a Fun Trip to Your Dentist

Before your child’s actual dentist appointment, consider booking a fun trip to the office. It is a casual, non-treatment where the minor can meet the doctor, explore the office, and become familiar with the surroundings. That way, it will lower the fear of the unknown, building trust.

Ensure you make the dental visit exciting. While taking the juvenile to their pediatric dentist can be challenging, it does not have to be. With the appropriate preparation and approach, visits to the dentist can be enjoyable and something the juvenile looks forward to. 

You can expect the following during the fun dental trip:

  • A colorful environment —Typically, pediatric dentists have children-friendly designs in their offices, like coloring books, educational TV programs, and play areas.
  • The dentist can reward the toddler for visiting them before leaving for home. Small rewards and gifts give the juveniles a reason to look forward to visiting their dentist.
  • The dentist will use easy-to-understand communication that permits the child to ask questions and speak their fears.

Incorporating Oral Health into Everyday Routines

Make your baby’s oral care a crucial component of their daily routine. Remind the child to floss or brush every morning at a specific time and again in the evening before going to bed. Consistency helps the child understand that the practices are non-negotiable routine elements. To give it more structure, use a toothbrushing calendar or visual chart. Once they brush or floss their teeth, let them mark off the tray, giving them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. 

Remember, teaching your child proper dental hygiene involves a well-balanced diet. Find ways to incorporate oral-friendly foods into your daily meals and diet.

Take Advantage of Educational Dental Health Crafts

A craft offers a visual and interactive way for a juvenile to learn key oral health concepts. It is also educative, and entertaining, and captures a child’s interest. Some of the creative crafts you can use include the following:

  • Tooth models — Utilize playdough or clay to create tooth models and show the juvenile how to mold their teeth. Finally, demonstrate how to brush with a toothbrush designed from your craft materials.
  • Toothbrush holders — Decorate tiny containers to create individualized toothbrush holders for every family member. It encourages the minor to be artistic with decorations and colors.
  • Tooth fairy craft — Design tooth fairy crafts like tooth fairy wands with ribbons, glitters, and popsicle sticks. Additionally, you can make tooth jars to store lost teeth.
  • Oral health puppets — Use socks or paper bags to create oral health puppets. You can decorate them using googly eyes, felt, and markers. The puppets can be instrumental in teaching your child about the importance of dental health and proper oral habits.

Set-up Dental-like Practitioner’s Role Play

Role-playing could be the best method to assist your child become accustomed to dental appointments and educate them on the value of oral check-ups. Here is an example of how you can establish a dental practice at home:

  • Establish a dental practitioner’s office — Establish a designated space within your home using household items to emulate a dental practice using dental tools, reception, dental office, and chairs.
  • Assign roles — Allow your children to take turns being the dental professional, patient, and dental assistant. Encourage your children to play different roles and discuss dental hygiene with them.
  • Demonstrate oral check ups — Demonstrate how dentists conduct dental check-ups to the juvenile. Use a tiny mirror to inspect their teeth and discuss brushing methods and the value of dental visits.
  • Make oral hygiene routines fun — Allow your baby to put on a dentist’s mask and lab coat. Play soft background music and offer toy dental equipment.

Create Storytime with Tooth Tales

Children love stories, and you can use it to your advantage.

You can choose a book that teaches about oral health. Read it in a fun way. Alternatively, make up a story with characters caring for their teeth.

Teach Your Child about Health Foods for Their Teeth 

Cut a carton to make small teeth.

Give every child their tooth and allow them to choose snacks from a list of foods that include tooth-unfriendly and friendly options. If they choose unhealthy foods, use a permanent marker or Sharpie to color food spots on their tooth.

If they pick healthy foods, use an eraser or highlighter to color food spots on the tooth. Next, give each minor a toothbrush to remove the food spots.

Finally, explain that healthy foods are easy to clean while unhealthy snacks can cause cavities.

Use Videos

As the technology advances, you can use videos. Quality videos assist in explaining complicated ideas in a manner that words cannot. Via visual content, videos can give your child the benefits of retaining information better than traditional text-based platforms. It permits the child to gain skills, which aids them to stay engaged and inspired to continue learning.

Here are tips to use when selecting the right video:

  • Use high-quality and engaging visuals in the video to help you retain and capture the child’s attention.
  • Ensure the video is short and precise. Avoid videos with unnecessary information that can distract the video’s central message.
  • Ensure the video has concise and clear language so that your child can understand the material quickly.

Create a Reward Mechanism

Rewards encourage your child to cultivate and nurture the habits that will endure for their whole lives. You should create a reward mechanism that most incentivizes the child to care for their gums and teeth.

Find a Proficient Dentist Near Me

The more fun you have when teaching your child about dental health hygiene practices, the more likely they will understand and practice. Luckily, you can take advantage of plenty of educational materials tailored for little minds so they can get entertained while they learn, including videos, songs, books, and stories. You could also buy or create a model mouth to educate your child about their teeth and the appropriate way to brush and floss. At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, we are committed to enabling your child to face the future confidently, equipped with the irreplaceable gift of resilient and beautiful teeth and smile. We can teach your child how to adopt preventive dental health measures like brushing, flossing, and eating a healthy diet and the relationship between oral health and general well-being. To book your dental appointment or for more information on pediatric dentistry, please contact us at 818-701-3010.