Parents know firsthand how difficult it is to teach our children about oral hygiene, especially when our little ones resist our feeble attempts at teaching them to brush their teeth. The good news is, we’ve put together this article to help you teach and train your child about having good dental hygiene. With these tips and with regular visits to Bay Central Dental in Woolooware, you’ll be setting up your child to have a good and strong routine that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

WHEN TO START

As early as infancy, when your child starts eating solids, it’s good to start getting them acquainted with having their mouth cleaned. At this stage, all you will need to do is wipe down their gums and tongue with a clean and damp cloth. You won’t be able to train them just yet, but simply let them be familiar with the sensation of having their mouth cleaned.

When a baby starts teething and eating solids, this is when you need to introduce a finger brush. Most are made of silicone and are gentle enough for a baby’s soft gums. Just very gently brush this along the gum line and around the baby’s emerging teeth.

HOW TO TEACH ABOUT REGULAR TOOTH BRUSHING

As your child gets older and his “milk teeth” emerge, this is the perfect time to introduce a toothbrush. Pick a child-sized, extra soft-bristled toothbrush, and a child-friendly toothpaste. With a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, play a game of “draw a little circle” with your kid, using the toothbrush of course. This sounds a bit silly, but it’s really effective at introducing brushing motions to your child. Or sing the “up and down” song as a way of teaching brushing teeth up then down and again.

Don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t successful. It takes a few, perhaps a dozen, attempts at toothbrushing to actually let your toddler get used to the sensation of the toothbrush. Once he or she understands the concept, it’s time to establish a schedule for brushing. Twice a day is the ideal routine; just after waking up and before going to bed. Integrate this into the bedtime routine of your kid and make sure they brush their teeth some moments after they wake up. If you let them do this every day, they’ll soon understand that it’s part of their everyday routine.

A good bonus of regular toothbrushing is that it’s good practice for when your children finally have their first dental. We understand it can be quite challenging to have your kids see a dentist, but with practice and good strategies, you’ll get there eventually.

Of course, having good dental hygiene is not just about regular toothbrushing. Regular visits to the dentist, regular flossing, a good diet, and routine use of mouthwash are also important and must be instilled in your children as early as when they are three to five years old.

A bonus tip when teaching children about oral health is to set an example yourself. As the adult and the parent, your own routines teach your child about important routines in their lives. Such routines will set them up well when they too become adults and are trying to reach the peak of their own lives.