Cassie Costner, guest contributor
As parents we know what’s best for our kids. Even if they argue and fight it now, flossing their teeth will be immensely important throughout their lives. Teaching kids to floss from a young age will not only keep their teeth healthy now, but also set them up for good habits for years to come, keeping their mouths clean and free of cavities.
Setting up these habits is difficult to begin with, but worth it in the long run. Learn the best methods for teaching your kids good dental hygiene, and the steps that need to be taken to ensure they will use these skills throughout their lives.
Incentives
Sometimes with kids, it’s easiest to reward them for doing what they should. Make a chart that they can only check off after they brushed their teeth and flossed. These two tasks seem to be difficult for kids to remember, but with a chart in place, they will have what they feel to be a good reason to floss.
On a weekly or monthly basis, offer your child a reward for flossing every day. If you don’t want to do candy, small toys or even a trip to the movies, park, or arcade would be beneficial. Find the best motivation for your kids. Even making the chart fun with stickers and cartoons, personalized to your child’s personality will help make flossing more enjoyable.
Use the right products
For kids to enjoy it, it generally has to be fun. Using the same boring generic floss isn’t going to keep kids excited to use it. Instead get the right products and make it fun for them.
There are different flavors of floss that can be purchased. Choose one that kids enjoy, making it a less intrusive experience. Besides taste, frustration from figuring out the best way to wrap the floss around their fingers, and then placing the small line between each tooth may be discouraging to some kids, and even adults. There are floss sticks that make it easy to floss. These keep the string tight to go through every tooth. Kids who learn how to use these have an easier time developing good flossing habits.
Be encouraging
The most difficult thing is to keep kids in the habit. The best way to keep this going is by setting an example. You don’t realize just how much influence you have over your kids. Show them that you use good flossing habits by doing it with them. Not only will this be encouraging to them, but will help your teeth stay healthy as well.
Work hard to reinforce the importance of flossing by establishing it in your own daily routine. If you set up a time every night to do it, your kids will become accustom to the process, keeping it with them for years to come.
Teaching your children proper dental care is important. Be aware of the influence you have on their oral hygiene. Establish regular flossing in their routine early on through positive reinforcement, using the right products, and setting the best example.
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Cassie writes on getting the best pediatric dental care. She has written for www.burgpediatricdentistry.com on the best methods for brushing children’s teeth, the best floss, and encouraging your kids to visit the dentist.
