HOL Doctors

Useful tips for children dental health to keep healthy smile

Dental hygiene is a significant lesson to teach our children in early ages because behaviors and habits established at an early age are critical in maintaining good health throughout life. But, unfortunately, for a lot of parents, teaching kids about dental health and hygiene is not an ideal thing to consider, we’ve got to show them the ins and outs of proper dental health for a healthy smile.

We’ve collected some best activities every parent needs to know to celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month this February with their children.

Spread the word:

This month is a time to increase awareness about pediatric dental hygiene. Take some time to talk to your kids about dental health. Encourage those to make their own slogan for dental health and promote it in their school by sharing it with their classmates and making some charts on it. Offer them resources to promote the benefits of good oral health.

Brush and floss together

At first, you only need to wipe your baby’s teeth off with a wet cloth after he eats or drinks. You can “graduate” to a toothbrush, and as soon as she has teeth that are touching, start flossing.

Brush your teeth with your children; teach them how to brush them properly. Use colorful teeth brushes and change your brush every 4th month. And to make it more interesting, let them pick brush of their choice. Moreover, you can use fruit-flavored tooth pastes to develop child’s interest at the beginning.

To excite them more, make them a schedule to follow for brushing and flossing every day and check it every week. After a week of consistent schedule, offer a reward, such as a fun outing.

Show them Plaque

Because plaque is difficult for kids to see, they may not understand why it’s so important to brush — and brush well. A demonstration with your child using a plaque-disclosing tablet will reveal plaque on the teeth. Then, look in a mirror together, and point out areas where plaque was present.

Don’t give snacking and sticky sweets

Families need to establish regular snack and meal times to help reduce all-day sugar exposure on the teeth. This goes for adults, teens and little kids. Plus, don’t send your babies to bed or make them carry around with juice or milk. If kids are going to carry around a beverage, it should be water.

Sugar is bad for teeth, especially when it’s literally stuck to teeth. So stuff like toffee, caramel, gummy bears, and even dried fruit are not the best choices when it comes to snacks. Not that kids can never have them, but they should be limited, and ideally kids should brush soon after eating them.

Work on arts and crafts projects with the kids

From books, to literacy activities there is plenty for your dental theme to celebrate and understand it in true sense. Create a model of a mouth out of construction paper and marshmallows. Or plan some paper-based activities to play together in family time. Offer them coloring pages and activities online to help celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month. Choose a chart-based coloring page, and have your kids color and customize a reminder to hang in the bathroom as a motivator.

Schedule an Appointment

One of the best ways to celebrate Children Dental Health Month is to schedule an appointment at your dentist’s office. Regular cleanings should happen every 6 months and more comfortable they’ll be when they visit the office.