Good Oral Hygiene Begins Early On

Teaching your child about the importance of good oral hygiene cannot be underestimated or treated as something of less importance for their health. Regardless of the number of teeth they might have, teaching them early to care for their teeth and gums will help them maintain good oral hygiene habits well into adulthood. You can really never start teaching them about mouth care too early. Good oral health will include care of the gums and tongue as well as the teeth.

To begin with it is a good idea to allow you child to observe your own personal oral routine and they should see your brushing, flossing, and rinsing regularly. One of the biggest obstacles of teaching good oral hygiene to children is the fact that for the most part this is something that people do in the locked bathroom when they are alone and therefore the young children are probably not observing this daily part of the routine.

Your child can learn the correct way of caring for their own teeth by watching you as your care for your own teeth and mouth in your daily routine of oral hygiene and a good way of teaching them about the importance of a daily oral hygiene routine for themselves. This precious good habits training time will follow them into adulthood and pass this training on to their children.

When they are old enough to begin caring for their own mouth, usually around the time that the very first tooth emerges, this is an excellent time to begin including them on your routine and invite them into the bathroom with you so that you can brush, floss, and rinse together. Children love activities that they can do with their parents and those that make them feel more grownup and allowing them to take part in this routine with you, especially initially is a great way to help them grow up learning about the importance of good oral hygiene.

Other important things regarding oral health issues is to expose them very early to the dentist and the importance of timely cleanings and checkups. Take them with you when you have your own checkups or any work done so they can learn that a dentist is a friend and only wants the best for their teeth and gums. These trips will also familiarize them with a dentist office and the work that is being done and make them more comfortable with getting these services as they get older.