Pediatric Dental Care

People are often confused about flossing their kid's teeth. According to them, kids don't need flossing until they grow up and develop a complete set of teeth. However, this is incorrect.

The correct time to begin flossing your children's teeth is when the teeth begin to touch, and there is visible space between them. When bacteria and plaque start building a permanent residence between those spaces, you need to start focusing on oral hygiene right away.

Plaque is a very thick layer of germs that develops on all of our teeth' enamel. Plaque builds up on your kid's teeth when they chew during the day. The plaque includes germs that can cause dental problems if not cleaned on a regular schedule.

We recommend implementing a strict and regular dental hygiene regimen for your child from a young age. It will help them maintain perfect oral hygiene later on in life.

What Is the Best Way to Floss Your Children’s Teeth?

Flossing is the most excellent way to keep the spaces between the teeth clean, whether it's a baby tooth or an adult tooth. A toothbrush by itself is ineffective in removing grime and germs from between the teeth.

Your youngster is more likely to develop problems and periodontitis if they do not floss properly.

Here are some topmost tips to help you floss your kid’s teeth.

Wrapping the Floss Around Your Fingers

Firstly, you will need to get approximately 18 inches of floss for your child. You can use any brand of floss, given that there are no chemicals in the product. Now, wrap approximately more than half of the torn floss around one of your middle fingers.

Wrap the remaining around the other middle finger, leaving only a small portion of floss visible and free between the two middle fingers. This is the part that will be used to floss the visible spaces between your children’s teeth.

Typically, doctors recommend leaving two inches of unwound floss between the fingers as it is more than adequate for kids.

The Clean and Dirty Finger Concept

One of these middle fingers will be the cleaner one, whereas the other one will be the dirty one. The reason behind this is to only ensure that you do not touch the dirty finger with the teeth while flossing.

Otherwise, it will undo your work, and the bacteria will again latch onto the clean surfaces between teeth. Once you clean the space between two teeth, you will wind more floss around the dirty finger and unwrap more clean floss from the clean finger. It will ensure a healthy flossing practice.

Now, unwrap a little floss from the clean finger and hold it between the index fingers and your thumbs. That's how everyone flosses, and you will need to do the same with your child.

A widespread mistake among parents is that they wrap the floss around the index fingers. This is wrong as you will need to tightly hold the floss between your thumbs and index fingers while flossing.

The “C” Shaped Flossing Technique

Gently slide the floss between your kid’s teeth and use a rubbing motion as you slide the unwound floss between the space. This gentle rubbing motion will ensure that you do not unintentionally hurt the child, and the floss makes its way inside the space without any issues.

Once the unwound clean floss is inside the space, curve it into a "C" shape and make sure that it hugs one of your child's teeth. Now, hold the floss tightly between your index fingers and thumbs, and move it up and down without placing too much pressure on the teeth. Children's teeth are softer than adult teeth, and you cannot use your force on these.

Therefore, ensure that you are as gentle as you can while cleaning the place between teeth. When flossing around your child's teeth, always use caution. The gum region is sensitive and forcing the floss into your kid's gums might cause harm.

Repeat the Process

Repeat this process around all teeth and empty spaces and apply minimal force while cleaning the gums. However, before you move onto new teeth, make sure to wrap the dirty floss around your dirty middle finger and unwrap more clean floss to take care of the next space between teeth.

What Are Some Important Tips for Flossing Children’s Teeth?

Flossing children's teeth is critical for excellent dental health, but it may not be easy if your child isn't keen on the concept. Dr. Chu a pediatric dentist adds that one big element to helping your child get into the habit of flossing is to make it fun and a common routine.

Follow the ideas below to make flossing more enjoyable.

Let Kids Choose the Flavor

Allow your child to choose their preferred taste of floss. Modern-day children's floss comes in various exciting flavors, such as grape, strawberry, or banana. So, it is essential to let them dictate the flavor, and they will be more inclined to participate in the flossing routine every day.

Play With Colors

If you can, you should purchase pre-threaded floss picks with colorful and lively handles.

This will keep the kids entertained as you floss between their teeth.

Use Elder Siblings as Models

Let an older child floss their teeth and do it in front of the kid. Kids are more accepting of new routines once they see their elder siblings do them. So, let an older child model the flossing practice in front of the little one, and the child will quickly get on board.

Choose Us for the Best Dental Hygiene

Flossing will be necessary for your kid's teeth to remain healthy for the remainder of their lives. By keeping a positive oral hygiene regimen early in childhood, you can guarantee that your kid maintains excellent dental health routines throughout maturity.

The essential thing is to create a regimen and make sure your youngster flosses their teeth nearly every day. Choose a time that is convenient for both you and your kid and commit to it.

Our staff members are skilled in the art of dental hygiene for different ages and can easily help you with any issues, help, and advice for your kids.

We also understand how to make the first trip more enjoyable for the kids as well as parents. You can contact us today for more information on pediatric dentistry and our services.