Oral health is extremely important. If your mouth is healthy, the rest of your body will be healthier. However, if your mouth is unhealthy, you may find that your general health decreases. It is therefore very important to make sure that you visit the dentist regularly, that you practice good oral hygiene and that you take steps to prevent oral disease.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to encourage good oral health habits in children. They may not like brushing or flossing their teeth regularly, have fear of dentist and this can lead to all sorts of dental problems down the track. As a parent, it is your responsibility to make sure that your children have healthy teeth. Our top dental hacks for helping you do this include:
Teach Good Habits Early:
It is never too early to teach good dental hygiene habits. Although a lot of people believe the dental myth that baby teeth don’t really matter – since they are lost anyway – nothing could be further from the truth. A person’s baby teeth are perfect for practicing and refining good oral health techniques and habits, and should always be kept in good condition to maintain good dental health.
As a parent, a key part of childcare, is you should teach your children good oral health techniques early in their life. Start brushing their teeth as soon as they come through with a special baby toothbrush, and teach them to brush their own as soon as they are old enough. Show them how to floss and how to use a mouthwash, and make sure that you are always encouraging good habits.
Use Healthy Treats:
Instead of using things like lollies or chips as rewards for good behaviour or doing well at something, consider using healthier options. Junk food can negatively impact a child’s teeth, and can set them up with bad habits for life. However, healthy snacks – such as wholegrain crackers, dried fruit or nuts – are good for your overall health, and won’t have as much of an impact on your oral health. Remember, cleaning your teeth is still extremely important, even if you only eat healthy food.
Reward Them For Brushing Well:
Encouraging the right oral hygiene habits can be difficult. As a parent, you should consider setting up some sort of reward chart that will reward your children for consistently brushing and looking after their teeth. For example, you could offer them a small reward for every seven days of consistent brushing that they do without a break.
Set A Good Example!
When it comes to teaching children good habits, nothing works better than leading by example. When you are teaching them how to brush their teeth and keep their mouth healthy, consider leading by example – sit down and brush your teeth at the same time as they brush theirs.
Final Word:
Keeping your kids’ teeth healthy doesn’t have to be super difficult. There are a lot of small things that you can do to encourage good habits and good oral hygiene. If you teach your children good habits when they are young, you will find it a lot easier to help them maintain their oral health over time!
