Q:
This question was asked at our Toddler Day at the Dentist program yesterday. My child is 2 and has all of her teeth, when should I start flossing them? Jan 23, 2010.
A:
Flossing a child's teeth can start as soon as they have teeth. At this stage it is more or less to introduce the young child what flossing feels like and to incoporate it into a daily habit. When all a young child's teeth have erupted it is vital that the teeth are flossed daily to remove food and bacteria both above and below the gumline to prevent decay and gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). Some children have more spacing between their teeth than others, regardless of spacing floss all the teeth.
A great way to floss a young child's teeth is to have them lay down facing away from you and have their head in your lap, this will allow you access to both the bottom and top teeth. Gently rub the floss up and down along the tooth, remember that if you are going between two teeth you need to rub the floss up and down on each tooth.
If you start flossing early, it will become a positive lifelong habit to both the child's oral and systemic health.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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Oh, it is true that flossing should be incorporated with people's oral caring habits nowadays, because of the different types of food that can damage your teeth badly. One good thing to do is teach kids the importance of flossing at an early stage. After all, if you teach a man how to fish, he can live for a lifetime. :)
ReplyDeleteTimothy Burley