How To Start An Oral Health Routine For Your Child
Proper dental care for your child starts earlier than you think. In fact, a lot can happen during the first two years of your child’s life, even though you won’t be able to see much of it. It’s essential that your child receives regular dental checkups every six months once she is born. Your Tampa dentist will educate you on nutritional guidance to promote healthy teet has well as the care required as your child ages.
Once your child is able to practice dental hygiene herself, it’s time to start your oral health routine! Our Tampa dentist recommends the following three healthy dental care habits.
Oral Health routine for your child
Create the routine
When it comes to kids (and most adults), simplicity is key to creating a new habit. Decide on a repetitive event to link with the habit of brushing your teeth. Breakfast and dinner serve as excellent prompts for dental hygiene. Whatever you do, keep the same prompts. Your goal is for the action of brushing to happen automatically before breakfast and after dinner. You’ll know you’ve achieved success when you no longer have to remind your child when to brush her teeth.
Nurture the habit
Some habits are inherently fun to develop! However, proper dental hygiene is not typically one of them. Thus, you must consistently nurture your child’s tooth brushing habit by creating your own fun. The little ones may enjoy singing songs about brushing teeth or seeing how many tooth stickers they earn on a chart that tracks their tooth brushing habits. Another option is to teach your child the hand movement of brushing by allowing them to design their own work of art with a toothbrush dipped in paint.
Lead by example
As you can see, starting an oral health routine for your child is simple. However, keeping the habit requires you to follow a daily regimen for optimal oral health. Children do what you do. Thus, you must do what you want them to do. When your child brushes her teeth in the morning, do so with her. At night, repeat the same routine, but floss before brushing. Don’t forget to double-check their technique, offering advice as needed.
For questions about proper dental care for your child, seek the advice of your Tampa dentist during your next appointment. Additionally, you can reach us during business hours by calling (813) 961-1727 or by sending us a message online!
