Throughout their youth, your child looks to you to fill in the blanks. Whether teaching them how to tie their shoes or to look both ways before crossing the street, there are many situations where your help proves invaluable. When it comes to dental care, encouraging your child to have a positive outlook is important and should start before an issue ever develops. This begins with helping them establish proper hygiene habits at home, and the way you brush and floss your teeth may very well influence the quality of their oral health into and throughout adulthood.
Though it might sound intimidating, being your child’s smile role model doesn’t have to be a challenge. With the following tips, you can easily help your little one enjoy the lifetime benefits healthy teeth and gums have to offer:
Make It Fun
Regardless of age, what you take from an oral care routine is what you put into it. For your child, this process can be more enjoyable when you use brushing time as an opportunity to bond. There are several ways you can keep them engaged and prevent this essential daily regimen from feeling like a chore. One example is sharing fun songs with them to hum or sing when they take care of their teeth and gums. This gives your child a straightforward indication of how long they should brush and helps them stay enthusiastic about their hygiene as a whole.
Emphasize Consistency
It’s important that you not only tell your child why they should take care of their smile but educate them on how to do this properly. Start by showing them the basics of an effective hygiene routine – twice daily brushing, flossing, and, don’t forget, rinsing. Many children are visual learners, so seeing how you perform these steps gives them clear examples of techniques they can adopt and work to master. Be sure these teaching moments don’t become once in a blue moon occurrences since consistency is what makes any healthy habit valuable.
Let Visits be Family Events
Initially, children may find a dental office to be a strange and intimidating environment. To help them feel more comfortable about their visits, bring your child along to your appointments. This is a great chance for them to become familiar with what takes place during a routine trip to the dentist, experiencing for themselves that there’s nothing to fear. Not only that but letting your child observe the confident way you interact with the doctor and receive treatment sends a strong message.
At his Santa Cruz pediatric dental office, Dr. Seth Reder and his team make it their goal to promote proper habits and healthy smiles by providing positive, educational experiences for patients and parents alike. To learn more about setting the stage for your child’s long-term oral health, contact Capitola Kids Dentistry today and schedule an appointment.