Throughout their childhood, our children develop at a fast pace. Because of this, we must protect their oral health. Even before their first tooth appears, our steps toward dental care influence their future oral health. After the primary teeth have grown, optimal dental health requires that they remain in place until they fall out naturally. Despite being temporary, they are crucial in developing the jaw and adult teeth. Teaching that good oral hygiene is vital is best done early on.
Promoting Your Child’s Oral Hygiene Habits
The first step to take on your child’s path to lasting oral hygiene habits is giving them independence. When anyone, regardless of age, feels empowered in their decisions, they’re more likely to develop consistent habits from them. Communicating with your child during this development period will go a long way to let them become active participants in the process. Each time a decision is made regarding their oral health, you can provide them with more options. These choices can help your child feel excited and committed to developing good habits and persisting with them.
- Ask Their Opinion – It’s an unfortunate truth that parents often make decisions for their children without including them in those decisions. Sadly, this tends to create a noticeable amount of resistance and can lead to them fighting the development of these essential habits. Let them select the toothpaste, the style of a toothbrush, the floss, and the mouthwash they prefer.
- Present Them Options For Dental Visits – While you need to plan dental visits for days when they fit into your schedules, you can still give your children options. Discover when there are visits available, and give your child a choice. As they get older, you can even have them call their dentist and tell them when they’d like their appointment to be out of the available options.
- Make Oral Hygiene a Family Priority – Spending time with your family is a beautiful way to create memories. Doing oral hygiene as a family can lead to your children developing healthy habits that will benefit them in the long run.
All of these tips are aimed at leading your child to the development of oral health habits. It’ll be a huge step toward helping them grow the feeling that these habits are vital in day-to-day life on their own. Furthermore, they’ll know they’re respected and have a voice in what they want.
Ask Your Dentist For Further Hygiene Tips
Your dentist works with families like yours daily, defending their oral health and encouraging necessary habits. Meeting with them can provide additional ideas on handling struggles you may encounter in this process. They can guide you toward products they trust and know will ensure that your child is brushing nicely. Romans & Soltani Dentistry is proud to service Camillus, Syracuse, and the surrounding areas.
