Oral hygiene is extremely important. If you brush your teeth twice a day, floss your smile once a day, and rinse your mouth daily with mouthwash, your chompers will be clean, healthy, and beautiful. However, many people refrain from flossing their smiles, and we don’t want your child to be the same way! So, to help you encourage your child to floss, our Mockingbird Dental Associates team recommends that you do the following things:
Show them the way
The best way to teach your child how to floss is by example, so make flossing a family activity. First floss your own smile and let your child watch as you do so. Second, use a new string of floss and clean between a few of your child’s teeth. Third, let your child floss their own teeth and guide them along the way. Please make sure that they are gentle at the gum line as they clean their chompers.
Praise good behavior
If your child flosses each day, make sure you praise them. You can come up with a system that also rewards them for their oral hygiene. If they floss every day for a week, they can have a treat. You can also create a star chart that will make them feel accomplished. Either way, make sure they are praised each time they floss.
Buy kid-friendly flossing products
Children love to use oral hygiene products that have their favorite superheroes or cartoon characters on them. So, let your child pick out their own floss at the store. If they pick one they would enjoy using, they will be more excited to floss each day.
Tell them about the Tooth Fairy
The Tooth Fairy is very motivational. Tell your child that the Tooth Fairy will reward them even more if they turn in a healthy, clean tooth that has been frequently flossed. This will give them the motivation to deeply clean their smile every chance they get.
For more tips on how to make flossing more exciting for your child, please call 770-386-3908 today and talk to Dr. Paul Eberhard and our friendly dental team. We are more than happy to help you find the best trick that will give your child the motivation to floss!