- Be sure to visit your dentist regularly and brush
twice a day.
- Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes each
time.
- Use a soft brush so it is gentle on the gums
and remember to change your brush every 3 months.
- Use a fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen
the enamel on your teeth.
- Floss – floss – floss!
- Eat healthy and choose snacks that are better
for teeth such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat yogurt and cheese.
Check out these proper brushing techniques!
- Outer & Inner Surfaces: Place toothbrush
at a 45-degree angle; starting along the gum line use gentle, short, tooth-wide
strokes against the gum line.
- Chewing surfaces: Hold the brush flat and brush
back and forth.
- Inside surface of front teeth: Tilt brush vertically;
use gentle up-and-down strokes with toe of brush.
- Brush the tongue: Use a back-to-front sweeping
method to remove food particles and freshen the mouth. Remember to gently brush
the roof of the mouth too.
- Brush long enough to thoroughly clean all tooth
surfaces. The brushing motion itself helps remove stains, so don’t cut short the
effectiveness.
Make it Fun
It is important to get kids to think about brushing
as fun and exciting. Children should brush their teeth twice a day and floss daily,
keep track of brushing on a calendar by the sink with gold stars. If there are two
stars everyday, at the end of the week, play their favorite game on Friday night
as a special prize.
Bring Variety to Brushing
To keep brushing from getting boring, look for ways
to make it fun. Keep different flavored toothpastes in the bathroom so that they
can have options each time they brush
Make Brushing Time, Family Time
Get the whole family together in the bathroom to
brush our teeth for the recommended two minutes. Play their favorite song and brush together for the duration of the song.
Get Children in the Right Frame of Mind for
the Dentist
Dentists recommend dental check-ups every 6 months,
which can be scary for many children. So prepare them
Start Early
Good oral care begins at birth. Before children start
teething, wipe out their mouths with moistened gauze after they eat.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene All Around the
House
Instead of sticky and sugary snacks, like gummy candy,
soda and ice cream, give children healthy snacks that wash away easily, like raw
vegetables and fruit. Also, after your children have brushed their teeth at night,
let them drink water– the sugar that is left from juice and milk can create cavities
in the mouth during sleep.