Teaching Routine Dental Care to Your School-Aged Children

By teaching kids routine dental care, good oral health habits can be formed to benefit children into adulthood. School-aged children may be eager to learn how to care for teeth, or they may avoid such tasks like they try to resist eating vegetables or getting vaccinations. Regardless of how children feel about learning how to care for teeth and gums, follow these tips to establish good habits and keep young patients’ teeth and gums clean and cavity-free.

Pick 3 steps for healthy teeth and gums

Routines involving dental care ideally coincide with certain times of the day. For example, children may find it easiest to remember to brush their teeth after breakfast and right before bedtime. Try to pick two or three steps that children can remember and eventually learn to implement independently.

All children, and all adults, should brush at least twice a day. Flossing can be difficult to master for younger patients. Adults can help with flossing or even perform the flossing for the child until the skill is mastered.

If kids feel pressured or shamed into caring for teeth, even if it is unintentional on the parents’ part, brushing and flossing can become routines to avoid. Help children choose the steps for a successful dental care routine. The more kids feel involved in the process, the more successful it will be and the easier it will be to maintain.

A good routine could involve brushing for two minutes, rinsing, and then flossing or asking an adult for help with flossing. Create a visual schedule for younger children or a to-do list for older children and display it in a visible spot near the sink.

Help childen implement the routine

For younger children, the main obstacles to flossing and brushing can simply be age and skill level. First- and second-graders, for example, may find it difficult to brush teeth adequately and may not understand how to floss correctly. Helping these children balance consistency with routine dental care that can be performed correctly by the children is key here.

For older school-aged children, keeping up with a routine may be challenging when homework, school, extracurricular activities, meals, and screen time make up the bulk of the day. Making sure these children have a set time to care for teeth and gums every day is crucial. Setting an alarm for dental care, always implementing the routine at a specific time, and putting a toothbrush and floss next to the sink can help.

Conclusion

Caring for children's teeth and gums does not have to be a constant battle; instead, great dental care can be learned as part of every young child's daily routine. Consistency and encouragement for children are key to creating good habits. If these young patients cannot learn to brush, floss, or eat low-sugar foods when young, dental care will be more costly and invasive in the future. Teach children to implement routine dental care as part of the daily routine to keep their teeth, gums, and entire bodies healthy for years to come.

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