As a parent, you are your child’s ultimate teacher. They learn how to do so many things simply from watching you. Teaching your child how to take care of their things and keep their room tidy is one habit many parents want to instill in their children. But knowing how to take care of something as important as their oral hygiene is even more crucial because it affects not only their teeth and gums but also their overall health. If your child does not take good care of their teeth, not only could it cost you a lot of money, but your child may have to go through the awful experience of having a toothache or, even worse, lose their teeth due to decay.

Talk to Your Children About Taking Care of Their Teeth

As your children begin asking you endless questions about why you do the many things that you do every day, use these opportunities to talk about the value of oral hygiene. Washing your hands is a great introduction to the importance of keeping your mouth clean as well. Tell your children that using soap gets rid of germs from your hands and that toothpaste is a special soap for cleaning our mouths that also fights bacteria. Topics to cover with your children are:

• What a cavity looks like and why it can hurt
• What happens when your teeth are neglected
• What dirty teeth feel like and how to clean them
• The importance of brushing your tongue
• How food can get stuck between teeth and need to be flossed.

Showing your children pictures of teeth that are not taken care of is a great way to help them understand what is at risk when they do not brush their teeth.

Show Your Children How to Brush

More so than words, your children will benefit from seeing you regularly take care of your teeth. If your children see that you prioritize your oral hygiene, they may also begin to realize how important it is to brush their teeth twice a day and floss once a day. Use their natural desire to be like you to instill good oral hygiene habits. A few tips for helping your children see the importance of dental care are:

• Ask them to brush their teeth in the morning while you are brushing your teeth
• Make sure your children are aware that you always brush your teeth before going to bed
• Show them how to tilt their brush at a slight angle so the bristles gently touch the gums and clean where the teeth and gums meet
• Routinely inspect your children’s teeth and point out missed spots. Sometimes children and adults alike create habits that could accidentally exclude places in their mouths while brushing. Making your children aware of spots that look more yellowed or may have developed hardened plaque can help them learn to address these spots and set good brushing habits

If you are in Coralville, IA and you want your children to have happy, healthy mouths, regular visits to the dentist are certainly part of good dental care. Coral West Dental is a great environment to bring your children so they leave with a good cleaning and are ready to return in six months. Give Coral West Dental a call today.