{"id":912,"date":"2019-06-05T23:25:42","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T23:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/alexandriapediatricdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/teaching-kids-to-take-care-of-their-smiles\/"},"modified":"2019-06-05T23:25:42","modified_gmt":"2019-06-05T23:25:42","slug":"teaching-kids-to-take-care-of-their-smiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/alexandriapediatricdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/teaching-kids-to-take-care-of-their-smiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Kids To Take Care Of Their Smiles"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

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BEING A PARENT WITH<\/b> small children can feel so hectic that there are probably days when it\u2019s hard to find time to brush your own teeth, let alone theirs. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here to help you out with a few tips on how to help your kids develop great oral hygiene habits.<\/p>\n

Make Healthy Baby Teeth A Priority<\/h3>\n

Just because your child\u2019s baby teeth will be replaced with permanent teeth before long doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s okay to slack off on taking good care of them. Baby teeth are crucial place-holders for adult teeth,<\/strong> and they allow your child to chew, speak, and smile freely. To keep them healthy, it\u2019s important to aim for twice-daily brushing and daily flossing.<\/p>\n

Start Building Life-Long Habits Early On<\/h3>\n

Teaching a young child important skills isn\u2019t always easy. They have seemingly endless energy and very short attention spans, and a toothbrushing session won\u2019t always go as planned. Here are a few things we recommend as you\u2019re working on your child\u2019s dental health skills:<\/p>\n

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  • Make brushing a priority.<\/strong> If you act like brushing your child\u2019s teeth is an inconvenient chore, that\u2019s how they\u2019ll view their dental hygiene routine. Show them that this is an important, unskippable part of every morning and evening.<\/li>\n
  • Brushing doesn\u2019t have to happen in the bathroom.<\/strong> As long as you have a toothbrush, you can brush your child\u2019s teeth anywhere. On a difficult day, brushing their teeth right where they are you could save both of you a lot of frustration.<\/li>\n
  • Toothpaste isn\u2019t as crucial as brushing.<\/strong> Whether you ran out of toothpaste, can\u2019t find it, or your child has been using it to practice their finger-painting skills, it\u2019s fine to brush without the toothpaste until you can get more.<\/li>\n
  • Let them pick out their toothbrush.<\/strong> This will make feel more in control, and they\u2019ll be happier to use it.<\/li>\n
  • Brush in front of the mirror.<\/strong> When they start brushing their own teeth, they\u2019ll do it in front of the mirror, so this is the best place for you to brush their teeth for them at first. It will help them feel involved.<\/li>\n
  • Make it fun!<\/strong> The more you act like brushing is fun, the happier your child will be to cooperate. Keep up a good attitude about it and help them enjoy it by playing fun music to time their two minutes of brushing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n