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Did you know that dental cavities cause children to miss over 51 million school hours each year?? The most common chronic disease found in school-age children: CAVITIES. As parents and dentists, we know that the best kind of dental checkup is a cavity free checkup! Parents, you can help make this happen by encouraging your children to brush twice a day for two minutes and floss once a day.
Here are some Age- Appropriate helpful tools to promote healthy dental habits for the home!
Ages 6 and under
At this age, your child will most likely want to do all the brushing "all by themselves" but they don't necessarily have the fine motor skills needed to do a thorough job. We suggest you let them start and then finish off strong by helping out. We also recommend using an app on your phone to help keep them "into" it and to give them something tangible to know when their two minutes is up. Here is a suggested app that some of us like. Brusheez - The Little Monster toothbrush timer. (recommended for under age 5)
Ages 7-12
At this age, your child knows what to do, but may not want to. Keep encouraging healthy brushing and flossing habits. Remember that you may still need to "take over" or do a "spot inspection" for this age group. Using a children's mouth rinse, like Act for Kids, can help flush away debris that they may miss while brushing.
Ages 12-18
The teen years are a very critical time for dental health. Research shows that cavities, typically, first appear in young kids, but then there is a spike in this issue during the teenage years and early adulthood. Don't let your teens dental habits become "out of sight, out of mind" even though you aren't doing it for them. How your teen deals with oral hygiene now is usually a very strong indicator of how your 20 year old will take care of themselves. Dr. Dave' and your dental team want to support them in making good choices for themselves because they aren't kids anymore.
Finally, parents, the very best thing for your children is to lead by example! Come in regularly for your healthy mouth cleanings, create healthy habits for yourself and your children will follow!
