Brushing and flossing are as equally important tasks for kids as adults, but it may be more difficult because they have small mouths and less nimbleness.  It may be hard for your child to control the floss and toothbrush, and many children may have a difficulty up until the age of six. Nonetheless, it is important for you as the parent to continue to brush your child’s teeth twice each day to remove an accumulation of plaque, which will cause tooth decay in the future. If your child is younger than six, it is important that they are supervised when they are brushing their teeth to make sure that they brush for at least two minutes. When you are teaching these habits to a young child, it will necessitate patience as they learn.

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Read on for several functional tips.

You can begin by purchasing a small soft bristled toothbrush for your child, and use a very small amount of toothpaste.  Make sure to purchase a toothpaste that is appropriate for children, and do not use any fluoride toothpaste until your child is older in case they swallow it.  Teach your child to hold the toothbrush at a 45° angle so that the bristles are held against the gums. Start to gently brush the teeth in a circular motion, and brush the outside, inside, and biting surface of all of the teeth. It may be easy to teach your child to floss their teeth, especially if they have large spaces between their teeth.  If your child does have tight spaces between their teeth, they will still need to floss regularly to prevent any risk for tooth decay. It may be easier to use a flossing aid, which will help your child to easily guide it between the teeth so that they can be effectively cleaned.

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There are different fun tips and techniques that you can use to make it easy for your child to learn to brush their teeth. You can take this time to brush your teeth together, and you could make it fun by taking turns brushing each other‘s teeth.  You can also let your son or daughter pick out a fun decorated toothbrush that has cartoon characters so that they will enjoy their time brushing. To make tooth brushing even more enjoyable, you can sing a song together while your child brushes their teeth so that they brush for a long enough time.

To help your child learn how to open their mouth to brush their teeth, you can say “oooh” and “ahhh” so that they better understand how to open their mouth and lips to brush all of their teeth. The bottom line is that oral hygiene is a long-term commitment that is necessary for your child to learn from a young age. When he or she makes the habit of brushing and flossing every single day, it will instill the importance of caring for their teeth as they get older. These habits for children will help them have healthy teeth in the future!


  
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