Dr. Neal Smith and the oral care specialists at his Yakima, Washington clinic understand that as a parent, every aspect of your child’s health is important to you. This extends to maintaining the health of their mouth. Of course, prevention is the first line of defense and this is founded on instilling them with a consistent daily oral hygiene routine.
It’s often easy to encourage a child to brush their teeth twice each day. Providing them with a child sized, themed toothbrush and a flavored child-safe toothpaste is often enough to get them brushing early and often. Just be sure to look for the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance to make sure you’re giving them high-quality oral hygiene products.
Your child’s teeth will need to be flossed each day. This starts as soon as the first two teeth emerge from their gums. A small child’s mouth can sometimes be awkward to floss. Spooling the strand of dental floss around your pinky fingers can help you reach the teeth in the back of their mouth. Encouraging them with fun stickers or coloring as a reward afterward helps make flossing as exciting as brushing.
When they get a little older, you can try letting them floss their own teeth with a flossing stick. When they graduate up to flossing with standard dental floss you could also try giving them waxed floss or dental tape to help them easily work the strand into place.
If you have questions about how to instill good oral hygiene habits in your child, you can always call 509-248-2973 to speak to a staff member at Dr. Neal Smith’s Yakima, Washington clinic.
