Tips to Teach Your Child Proper Dental Care

It is hard enough to get your child calmed down enough at night and ready for bed. Throw in the need for brushing their teeth and the whole process can leave you and your child ready for a major meltdown. Proper dental care is important for your child, even at a very young age. From the very first tooth, you must take the time to teach proper dental habits.

When your child gets his or her first tooth at around four to six months of age, you may think it is impossible to brush that little tooth. It is not impossible and in fact, this is the perfect time to start teaching your child about how to take care of that precious smile. Tooth decay can start from very early on. When teaching proper dental care in infants, the first step is to find a soft toothbrush that is specially designed for infants and gently clean the area two times a day. It is not recommended that you use "adult" toothpaste on a child that young. However, there are pastes out there that are formulated for babies. If you have problems getting a toothbrush small enough, try a rubbing the tooth with a clean, damp washcloth. This is enough to remove the residue on the tooth and may even soothe teething gums.

As your child gets older, you will still want to help him or her with their brushing technique. Children often have dexterity problems getting that brush in there the right way. It is not because they don't want to brush--they may just have problems doing it the right way. Here are some great tips for getting your child to brush properly:

See the dentist early: You child needs to see a dentist on a regular basis. Many kids have fears about going to the dentist. Find a good pediatric dentist in your area and start taking your child at a young age. When you start early, you child is less likely to experience fears about going to the dentist. In addition, if you start check ups early, your child is off to a good start when it comes to dental health. Your dentist can recommend the right type of toothbrush for your child and teach your child about proper brushing techniques.

Take your child shopping: Allow your child to go with you to the store to pick out there very own toothbrush and toothpaste. Picking out a cool toothbrush and toothpaste not only gets them excited about brushing, but prompts them to want to do it more often. There are so many different types of brushes and pastes that are available. Take your child to the store and find one that has his or her favorite cartoon character or action hero. There are also all different kinds of toothpaste out there, too. Just make sure that you find one that is labeled ADA approved and one that has added fluoride. Some kids dislike the taste of strong minty flavors, so look for one that has a fruit or bubblegum flavor instead.

Two minute timer: It is a known fact that children do not take enough time when they brush. They rush through the process, barely getting the toothbrush in there at all. You can help buy purchasing a two-minute timer. Dentists recommend that children spend at least two minutes brushing their teeth. If you child has a timer, he or she will know when to stop brushing. You can even purchase special toothbrushes that will stay on for a full two minutes, or brushed that light up for two minutes. When the light goes off, your child knows they have brushed long enough. You can also teach your child the 30 second technique. Have them brush for 30 seconds on the back of their bottom teeth, 30 seconds on the front of their bottom teeth, 30 seconds on the back of the top teeth and 30 seconds on the front.

Floss away the plaque: Kids can sometimes have a difficult time learning to floss with regular string floss. It is hard to wrapped it around the fingers and get it in the mouth just the right way. Your dentist will tell you that flossing is just as important as brushing, so buy some of the special flossers with handles. These flossers make getting the teeth clean easier than ever. In addition, these handy hand-held flossers are easy to take on the go, especially for kids with braces.

Proper dental care is important starting at a very early age. There are many ways you can teach your child the right way to take care of their pearly whites and to ensure less trips to the dentist office.