Flossing Habits for Children

As a parent, you want the best for your children. Keeping them happy and healthy, while challenging at times, is the best gift you can give them! When we think about health, we often think of physical health but what about dental health? You’re on top of it! You have your child brush at least twice a day and you limit the amount of sweets they eat or drink. But what about flossing? Is it really that important to floss ‘baby’ or ‘primary’ teeth?

Floss Those ‘Babies’!

Teaching your child good dental hygiene from an early age is smart. Brushing is an important part of dental health, and so is flossing. Hopefully, the good habits you teach them as a young one will stay with them their whole life. Besides creating a good habit, flossing helps prevent cavities and maintain healthy gums too!

Professionals recommend you begin flossing your child’s teeth when their primary teeth begin to touch one another. This is usually somewhere between 2-6 years of age. Just like with brushing, you will need to start by flossing their teeth for them. As they grow older, gradually teach them proper flossing techniques by guiding them through the process. What are proper flossing techniques?

1. Wash your hands before beginning.
2. Tear off a strand of floss long enough to wrap and grip.
3. Wrap the floss around each of your middle fingers, and then pinch it with your index fingers and thumbs leaving a short length of floss in between.
4. Pulling the floss tight, gently run the floss up the side of a tooth to the gum line (avoid pushing the floss into the gums) and then back down numerous times. This helps scrape food debris and other contaminants off the tooth.
5. Now run the floss up and down the side of the neighboring tooth numerous times.
6. Pull the floss out of the mouth and change your grip on the floss, so that you move on to the next tooth with a clean area of the floss.
7. Repeat until you have flossed in between all teeth.
8. Finish by brushing the teeth.

These flossing techniques can be modified if you choose to use an alternative flossing tool such as a floss pick or interdental brush.

Tips for Parents to Make Flossing Fun

It may take some time for your child to become comfortable with flossing. How can you make it more fun for them?

• Use colorful floss picks or flavored floss (mint, grape, bubblegum, pineapple).
• Sing a fun song or play some music while you floss their teeth.
• Set a timer.
• Do a ‘happy dance’ when flossing is completed.
• Set up rewards (not food) for consistent flossing.

If you make flossing fun, your child will enjoy it more, and you will help them develop a good dental hygiene routine!

You are Not Alone

So, now you know what you should do, but do you need a little encouragement or additional tips? Contact the Placerville Dental Group! We are happy to help you instill good dental hygiene habits in your children. Schedule an appointment for your child so that they become familiar and comfortable with the dental office and the dental team. We can show you how to floss your child’s teeth and will make it fun for them too! Call us today!