Encourage Good Oral Hygiene In Your Child With Help From a Family Dentist

If you’re a parent, you know that young children are like sponges that absorb everything around them. And since they’ll never learn quite as much as they do in the early years, it’s the perfect time to instill oral hygiene habits that will stay with them for life. The payoff is well worth the effort and includes fewer toothaches, less dental work, and more self-confidence in childhood and beyond. But where should you start? In addition to regular checkups with a family dentist in Waterbury, good habits at home are also crucial. Keep reading to find out why good oral health begins in childhood and how you can give your kids a great start!

The Importance of Good Oral Hygiene In the Early Years

In every regard, childhood is the foundation for adulthood. And if you ask many adults why flossing is such a struggle, many of them will tell you, “I never did it before, so it was easy to keep neglecting it.”

So when brushing and flossing are instilled in kids from the very beginning, it’s never a question of whether they should do it as they get older. It’s simply “what you do.” 

In addition to forming good habits, it’s also very important to keep the baby teeth healthy. Some of them won’t fall out until age 12-13, and every child needs a full set of healthy teeth to eat, speak, and smile with confidence. The baby teeth also affect the development of the permanent teeth. If they have cavities or other problems, it can lead to issues with your child’s smile later on.  

Tips To Establish Good Oral Hygiene From the Beginning

• Schedule checkups early on – The recommendation for the first checkup is around age 1 or soon after the first tooth comes in. These visits are easy for kids and won’t include a cleaning or X-rays until they’re older. But they’re very important to help kids feel comfortable in the dental chair and catch problems when they’re small and easier to treat.  
• Model good habits – Your children want to do everything that you do, including brushing and flossing. When your children are old enough to brush their own teeth, try to do your flossing each night in the bathroom while they brush. In addition to setting a good example, you can also make sure they’re brushing well enough. 
• Minimize sugars and snacking – Snacking throughout the day increases the risk of cavities, so try to keep it to a minimum. It’s also helpful to reduce your child’s consumption of sugar by limiting juice, soda, dried fruit, candy, etc. 

As a busy parent, it’s easy to put oral hygiene at the bottom of the priority list. But establishing good habits is well worth the effort and will help your kids have a healthy smile for the rest of their lives. 

About the Author

Dr. Mancini is a family dentist in Waterbury and a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She knows that good oral hygiene means less dental work for kids and is always happy to help children and their parents establish good habits. If you’d like to know more about oral hygiene for kids or have any questions, she can be reached via her website.