Home Care

Preventative dental home care can really be summed up in two words; brushing and flossing. The process is the same for children but often requires some adult supervision due to distractions and the fact that many simply don’t understand how important these activities are. The solution begins with proper instruction from the parents from the time they’re small as well as constant vigilance.

As children get older and their teeth become close enough to touch each other, a parent should start flossing the child’s teeth. This can be done quickly and gets the child accustomed to flossing. The process is usually pretty easy due to children having fewer teeth than adults and, if started early enough, can get them to think of brushing and flossing as activities that go together.

Children love to do what others are doing, so if they see you brushing your teeth they will probably want to brush theirs as well. While their interest may be encouraging, it’s likely that they will not brush properly. Be sure to be supportive about their interest in doing it themselves, but you’ll want to help out until you see that they can do it themselves. Many adults have a difficult time with this as well but making brushing and flossing a regular part of the daily routine can go a long way toward getting kids to engage in preventative dental home care. Make it a regular and fun activity and your kids will be on their way to a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.