Children's Dental Health Month 2022

February is officially national Children's Health Month according to the American Dental Association. It’s the perfect time to check in on your child's dental health to spot any areas of improvement to keep their smile happy and healthy. 

You are your child's biggest influence so demonstrating a healthy oral care routine will help train theirs. Routine is so important at a young age to create a life long lasting routine to maintain your health and wellbeing. Simple routines like brushing daily, 2 times a day for 2 minutes will embed a strong foundation of oral care. We also suggest that children start flossing as soon as two of their teeth begin to touch together anywhere from ages 2-3 and will need help with flossing until ages 8-10. You should aim to floss everyday with them to keep gaps between teeth as clean and maintained as possible.


Brushing Technique

  • Brush inside & outside of every tooth 
  • Brush at a 45 Degree angle
  • Be sure to reach chewing surfaces brushing in a back and forth motion
  • When reaching the lower bite angle the toothbrush up using gentle down strokes for the front teeth

Flossing Technique

  • Cut a long piece of floss wrapping the ends around two fingers
  • Evenly hold the floss with two thumbs on the fingers
  • Gently floss between teeth
  • When reaching the gumline curve the floss into a ‘C’ shape around the tooth to reach all areas
  • Floss gently in up and down motions between each and every tooth

Be sure to highlight food & drink groups that are bad for your teeth such as fizzy drinks and sweets so they know why it should be moderated. Remember that fruit juice can also be heavy in sugar so be sure to minimise serving sizes and make sure they hydrate with water as much as possible.

 

Is your child more of a visual learner? Try showing them educational cartoons on dental health!

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