Oral Hygiene Techniques to Teach Your Child This Father’s Today

Good oral hygiene methods practiced in the early years of life will help lay a foundation for strong and healthy permanent teeth. Children that have established good oral care habits at a young age are highly likely to carry the habits into adulthood. Therefore, as a parent, it is upon you to help kids adopt a proper oral care routine. Good oral hygiene is a defense against common oral diseases like cavities and gum disease. For this year’s Father’s Day, we at Soni Smiles are teaching dads how to give their children healthy and bright smiles through simple oral hygiene techniques.

How to Teach Your Child Good Dental Habits

• Brush and Floss Together: Kids learn best through imitation and at the same time enjoy doing what their parents do. Whenever you are cleaning your teeth, have them watch and even allow them to help. This will spark curiosity in them and they will want to try and do the same. It will make it much easier for them to pick up brushing and flossing habits as it will not seem as a strange or foreign concept.

The American Dental Association recommends that we brush our at least twice every day. To ensure your child brushes for sufficient amount of time, you can use a timer. Also, to make it fun you can introduce songs and dances to brush along too, which the child will always relate with keep their mouth clean.

• Start Dental Visits Early: Let your child know from an early age that routine dental visits are an essential part for good dental health. Show him or her that you attend regular dental check-ups as well and that it is a normal experience. Starting your child on dental visits when they are still young will help familiarize with the dental clinic and he dentist too. Dr. Ravi Soni says that doing so will minimize their anxiety and slowly help them build a positive attitude towards these routine check-ups.
• Insist on a Healthy Diet: Help your children understand how certain food choices affect their dental and overall health. Let them know which foods they need to consume for healthy and strong teeth and which ones to avoid. This is very important as most kids love sugary and starchy foods and which you if over indulged can lead to cavities and tooth decay. We strongly discourage acidic and sugary foods and let them take in lots of fruits and vegetable, dairy products and others foods rich in calcium for strong teeth.
• Reward Good Dental Habits: Kids love to be acknowledged and recognized and it is okay to offer a small reward for taking proper care of their teeth. Rewards do not always have to be sugary treats. Instead, you can offer a fancy sticker, take them to the park, allow more screen time or even come up with a treasure hunt game. Doing so makes them look forward to oral care practices so that they initiate the process rather than wait for you to remind them.
• Mix Oral Care with Fun: Teaching your kids dental care techniques shouldn’t be boring and mundane. Use the interests of your child to make oral care fun. If your child loves to sing, make up songs about brushing and caring for your teeth. You can also use painting or story-telling to pass on basic concepts about dental care.
• Use Oral Care Products Designed for Kids: Failing to get the right products for your child can negatively impact their dental care experience. Make sure to use a toothbrush and toothpaste appropriate for their age. If not sure what to use, you can check with your family dentist for recommendations. You can also involve your child in the decision-making process by letting them decide on thig like the color of the toothbrush or the flavor of toothpaste.

Happy Father’s Day from us at Soni Smiles. Taking part in the dental are of your child may seem a daunting task but in the end it pays off greatly when your child grows into adulthood without experiencing any major dental problems.