4 Tips for Helping Your Children Prioritize Their Oral Health

Teaching your kids oral hygiene is crucial, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Regular visits to dentists and orthodontists can help, but here’s what you can do to make sure your children prioritize oral hygiene.

1. Brush with Your Kids

When your kids are young, they learn from examples better than they learn from wordy explanations. After you explain to your kids why they must brush regularly, you should brush your teeth with them to lead by example. When kids see their parents brushing their teeth every morning and night, they’re more likely to follow suit.

2. Discuss Problem Foods

There’s nothing wrong with your kids taking a glass of water to bed or having water when they wake up, but other beverages and foods can be a big problem. Teach your kids about foods and drinks that can negatively affect oral hygiene and make sure they’re not consuming those problem items too often. It’s okay to have juice every now and then, but you should never give your kids sugary foods and drinks before bed.

3. Talk About Orthodontist Visits

It’s not uncommon for kids to need braces at some point. According to Mouth Healthy, orthodontic treatment usually starts at 8-14 years old because abnormal bites become visible at 6-12 years old. Orthodontists can only do so much to correct alignment issues and give your kids a healthy smile, so you need to teach them how important it is to brush and floss regularly to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

4. Keep Them Responsible

If your child starts an orthodontic treatment, their responsibilities have suddenly increased tenfold. One of the hardest parts of orthodontic treatments for children is properly keeping their teeth clean. Having braces or Invisalign makes it more difficult to clean your teeth, which can lead to health problems if they are not properly maintained. Teaching them to keep a regular cleaning schedule after they eat on top of their regular morning and night teeth cleaning will ensure nothing goes awry with their treatment.

You want your children to grow up with healthy smiles, but getting kids to take care of their teeth can be tough. Brushing with your kids and positively reinforcing good behavior can help teach them how important oral hygiene is. If your child has an alignment or bite issue, give Tru Smile Orthodontics a call to consult our orthodontists today.