Parenting 101: Dental Health For the Whole Family

There are many skills that you acquire as a parent. Being able to eat anything with one hand, while holding a baby with your other hand. Not to mention  surviving life on little sleep, as well as perfecting the ninja crawl out of your kid’s room. Dressing kids is like handling an octopus, and then there are things like feeding them and brushing their teeth. All fun and games, right?

The latter is an important one to master, though, as our kids’ teeth can be costly if we don’t help them to take care of them, as well as it having an impact on their overall health. So teaching our kids to look after their teeth, so that they will carry on with it when you’re not there, is an essential part of being a parent. So here are a few things to be thinking about, to bring you back to basics for your family’s oral health.

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The Basics

It goes without saying that oral health starts with brushing your teeth. At least twice a day is a must for us all. But are you teaching your kids to floss? And no, not the dance move (although both at the same time could be an awesome skill to acquire). Make it fun and instill it in your kids’ minds that this is something that is important. Limiting what you eat can also be a good idea, especially the snacks and foods that are laden with sugar. They can and do have an impact on teeth. Regular dental appointments are also a must; when did you last go as a family?

Toothpaste

There are so many varieties of toothpaste out there; what are the right ones to get? The thing is, how to choose toothpaste can change over time, depending on the ages of your children. It isn’t a con to get an age specific toothpaste; it does make a difference. It is all about the amount of fluoride in the toothpaste. And while it is important, until kids understand how to rinse out properly after brushing their teeth, it is a good idea to limit the fluoride that they have, hence the age appropriate toothpastes. Obviously, the flavour is optional and to your own taste, but just monitor what the fluoride level is, and how much you use on the toothbrush.

Make It Fun

If you see brushing teeth as a chore, then so will your children. So look for ways to make it fun. You could have a timer so that they are doing it for two minutes each time. You could also play music or get an app that tells a story while they are brushing and flossing. Some fancy toothbrushes even come with a stand that moves to time two minutes. When they enjoy it, look forward to it, and get in the habit of it, it will make a big difference to their dental health overall.

Have you got any tips that have helped you along the way? It would be great to hear what you think.