3 Ways to Teach Your Child Good Dental-Health Practices

As a parent, one of things that you need to teach your child is how to take care of their teeth. Many children suffer teeth decay to their baby teeth because they are not taught proper dental health habits as a toddler and young child. Here are three ways that you can help your child establish good dental health and habits.

#1: Establish a Solid Dental Routine

The first thing that you need to do is establish a solid dental routine for your child and stick to it. For example, you can always brush your child's teeth in the morning when your child wakes up or right after breakfast. In the evening, you can have your child brush their teeth either right after dinner or right before bed.

It is important that you don't make this time feel rushed. Too many children feel rushed during their teeth-brushing routine, and this leads to kids not brushing their teeth properly. Encourage your child to take their time brushing their teeth and let your child know that it is important that you don't ever skip your dental-brushing routine

#2: Let Your Child Brush Their Teeth

The second thing you need to do is let your child learn how to brush their teeth. Up until your child has mastered their fine motor skills, possibly between the ages of six and eight depending on how your child develops, you should brush your child's teeth for them. When you brush your child's teeth, you need to make sure that you brush the front, back, and top of your child's teeth. As you brush your child's teeth, talk about how you are moving the toothbrush in a circular motion and talk about the different areas of your teeth that you are brushing. This will help your child better understand what you are doing.

Then, once you have brushed your child's teeth, allow your child to brush their own teeth. You have already ensured that your child's teeth are clean; letting your child brush their own teeth allows them to work on developing this crucial fine motor skill. If your child is really young, hold their hand and show them how to move the toothbrush. As your child grows up, provide encourage and advice to them when they take their turn at brushing their teeth.

#3: Make Your Child Comfortable with the Dentist

Finally, make sure that your child is comfortable going to the dentist. Read them books and watch television programs that talk about what going to the dentist is like. Take your child to the dentist starting when they are a toddler, so they feel comfortable going to the dentist and getting their teeth cleaned. When you take your child to the dentist, be sure to explain to them everything that is going on and answer any questions that they are having about the process. Make sure that your child understands that it is important to go to the dentist on a regular basis.