Our Glendale Family Dentists Have Tips For Helping Your Children Develop Healthy Smiles

Written by Dr. McKay on Jan 22, 2019

One of the most important things that our Glendale family dentists do in our office is to help our young patients achieve and maintain healthy smiles. Pediatric dentistry is paramount if you want your child to develop strong oral hygiene habits. Keep reading to learn more!

Pediatric dentistry is focused on helping young patients learn how to care for their smiles, and maintaining healthy primary teeth. Primary teeth are sometimes referred to as “baby teeth;” these teeth fall out naturally when it’s time for permanent teeth to emerge. Generally, a patient will have lost all of his or her baby teeth by the time that they reach adolescence.

Now is the time to teach your children how to care for their teeth properly by brushing and flossing. Keep in mind that patients should be brushing for two minutes, morning and night, and flossing every night.

When it comes to teaching your children proper oral hygiene techniques, try the “tell, show, do” method. Start off by explaining how you’re going to clean your smile, and why—allow your child to ask any questions that they may have! Then, demonstrate how to brush and floss using your own smile as an example. Finally, help them practice on their own smile. Make brushing and flossing something that you do together every morning and night to help reinforce the routine.

Remember that children who are young enough to regularly swallow toothpaste should not use toothpaste formulations that contain fluoride. There are fluoride-free toothpastes that are marketed toward young dental patients; your child should use one of these toothpastes until they have learned to not ingest oral hygiene products.

Our Glendale family dentists are here to give you all of the information and support that you need, so that you can teach your children exceptional oral hygiene habits. Give us a call to speak to a member of our team, or to schedule a personal consultation!