Pearly Smiles: How Parents Can Teach Children About Oral Hygiene

Post date: May 21, 2018 9:51:36 AM

Parents know this—it is hard to teach kids about hygiene. Teaching kids how to brush their teeth is a task for heroes. It is important for children to learn about oral hygiene at a young age. Why? Because good oral health in their adolescence and adulthood stems from their basic oral hygiene from childhood.

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For parents struggling with this activity, here are tips on how they can teach children about oral hygiene.

Start practicing good oral hygiene with the appearance of the child’s first tooth. Many parents are not aware that good oral hygiene should start when the child’s first tooth comes out. This usually appears from within the first six to nine months of the child. To avoid cavities in infants, parents are advised to feed children with proper milk diet or semi-liquid foods. Sugary sweets should be avoided as these can damage milk teeth. Brushing and flossing should also be practiced as early as possible.

Some children suffer from “bottle mouth.” It is a condition when the child’s teeth are pocked, discolored, and pitted because of the use of milk bottles. This is usually the first reason for parents to take their children to the dentist.

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When they grow up to understand, teach them the importance of good oral hygiene. When children are old enough to understand, parents must teach them why proper oral hygiene matters. Children usually complete their set of teeth at the age of 2 or 3. This is when parents can teach kids how to brush under their supervision. Some parents use the HOHA (hand over hand application) technique when teaching their children how to brush. Others even brush their teeth with their children to set an example.

Dr. Kami Hoss, DDS, MS, is an inventor, commercial real estate investor, and an accomplished dentist. He is also the co-founder of The Super Dentists. To learn more about his work, visit this page.