Just because kids are out of school for the summer does not mean they can’t learn something that will help them throughout their lives. With more kids at home and more time to interact, parents have a wonderful opportunity to reinforce proper brushing and oral hygiene for their children. Doing so can have very positive and long-lasting effect for children as well as parents. Parents benefit from reduced dental costs while children benefit from better oral health and greater self esteem over the course of their lives.
Lots of Kids Brush Too Little
The number of times a child brushes his or her teeth each day often times it not the problem. Many parents ensure their children brush at least twice per day, although doing so only after waking up and before going to bed is not enough. Children need to be taught to brush after each meal and to floss regularly. Children also need to be taught proper brushing techniques to have the greatest impact on oral health. At least two minutes and preferably three minutes of brushing is needed to allow toothpaste to have its full effect and clean teeth properly.
Frequent Changes in Brushes Can Help
A good way to teach children to brush properly is to encourage them to do so by allowing them to pick out their favorite toothbrushes and toothpastes while at the store. Even if it is a relatively costly toothbrush due to some sort of promotional element, such as having a figure of a child’s favorite comic book character, the benefits attained from more frequent and longer periods of brushing will pay off greatly in the long run.
How much emphasis to you place on teaching your kids to brush properly?