How to Care for Your Children's Teeth at Home

Is your child’s dental health a concern? Are you looking for smart ways to enhance your child’s dental hygiene at home? While many parents find success in scheduling regular dental checkups for their children, getting children to properly take care of their teeth in between dental exams is a different story. Below are some guidelines to help take care of kids’ teeth at home in between dentist visits.

Teach the 2x2 Rule: Brush for 2 minutes 2 times a day

Create a fun and positive dental routine early in your child’s life. Brushing your child’s teeth (or having them brush their own teeth) for two minutes at least twice a day is the first step in having healthy oral hygiene and smiles for a lifetime. Once in the morning after breakfast and then again before bedtime would be a great start. If your child is consuming high amounts of sugar (juice, soda & sweets) make sure they brush more often as sugar erodes the protective enamel of teeth and can cause cavities. Our tooth-brushing chart is a fun way to reinforce good brushing habits.

Cut down on the sugars

Common kid-friendly foods such as raisins, fruit juice, and even chocolate milk pack a lot of sugar for little teeth.  Try to offer healthier options and reinforce brushing after snacks whenever possible. Check out our list of 10 surprisingly bad foods for kid’s teeth.

Don’t forget to floss

Flossing is probably the least enjoyed oral hygiene activity for both adults and children. Though flossing can be tedious, it is important to get into those tight spaces between teeth to prevent cavities. Since a toothbrush can’t do all the work, try to instill the importance of flossing once a day.  Make the experience fun for kids with colorful and/or flavored dental flosses.

Add an extra measure of protection

After age six, have your child use an oral rinse after brushing to add an extra dose of cavity prevention. Be sure to supervise and use a rinse specifically for children. Remind kids to spit out – and not swallow­– the rinse.

Inspect teeth regularly

Be sure to inspect under the “hood” by checking your child’s mouth regularly to see if they are brushing and flossing properly. Since it takes a while to get the hang of it, make sure to watch your child brush their teeth so that you can correct anything if necessary. For example, you may need to remind your child to spend more time on certain areas of their mouth or not brush so roughly.

The professionals at George Dental Group or other Eagan family dentists can help you understand how oral hygiene plays an important role in a child’s overall health and well-being.