Tips on Pediatric Flossing with My Child – How Do I Get My Child to Floss?
Being a parent is not an easy job, but it has its rewarding moments. From teaching your children about cleaning up their messes to cleaning their mouths well after meals, there is a lesson somewhere. As we all know, flossing is an important part of an effective hygiene routine and is going to benefit your little one to understand this concept as well. Teaching young children how to properly floss can seem simple, but a pediatric dentist can aid you with simple, helpful tips when developing a dental cleanliness skill.
Continue to read to find out some great helpful tips when teaching your child to properly floss their teeth. How Do I Get My Child to Floss?
Find the Fun in Flossing with Your Child
Does your child avoid taking care of their teeth because it is time-consuming and boring? You can help foster their excitement by making the experience fun. For example, turn the process of flossing and brushing your teeth into a family activity. Gather everyone in your household into the bathroom and floss at the same time, as this is a good method of instilling the importance of flossing. You can play your child’s favorite song and allow them to dance while brushing their teeth, showing them how fun the process can be.
Make a Flossing Routine
Your child should begin flossing their teeth as soon as they touch one another. After you teach them how to floss, ensure that you remind them to do so at least once a day, ideally during the nighttime brushing before bed. It is worth noting most children will need help with this oral hygiene step until they are between 6 and 7 years old. However, practice will make perfect, so keep on encouraging them and offer tips until they become masters at it.
Visually Instruct
If you give your child dental floss, they aren’t initially going to know what to do with it. This is why using visuals is a good way to teach children how to floss properly. A way to show them the proper method is by demonstrating firsthand. For example, you can have your child watch you eat a sweet treat. When you have finished, thoroughly floss your teeth to show how it removes leftover food particles and build-up. You can hand your little one a floss pick to practice on their teeth.
Provide Rewards for Flossing
Positive reinforcement is an ideal way to encourage young children to complete tasks. You can create a chart and give your child a gold star every day flossing is complete. If they are consistent and floss every day, you can reward them at the end of the week with a prize or a family activity. Over time, it will help them turn flossing into a good habit.
Bottom Line
Are you stumped when it comes to teaching children how to properly floss their teeth? By following the highlighted tips above, you will have your child flossing in no time on their own, an accomplishment that can feel equally rewarding to the parent as much as to the child. If you have concerns, need tips, or have questions about implementing flossing in your child’s oral care, your local Montana pediatric dentist team can help.
Trust the professionals at Lolo Dentistry, expert Missoula dentists, to help you keep your child’s teeth healthy. There are three dental offices to serve you in Lolo, Frenchtown, and Superior for Mineral County, Montana, call us at 406-284-8669 for more information on procedures, dentistry, reviews, and more today! We are one of the only children’s dentists in Montana that accepts Medicaid.