By It’s hard enough to get toddlers to bathe, allow you to change their diapers, and eat the right things for their growing bodies! And on top of all of this, your dentist wants you to do what? Brush their teeth for two minutes, two times a day? And floss? Clearly that dentist has never encountered most toddlers right before bedtime!
Tips on Brushing your children’s teeth and flossing
Don’t fret; we have some really fun and unique ways to help make brush time one of your child’s favorite routines! If you and your toddler have ever come to visit Dr. Khoury at The Brush Stop Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, you have probably seen her perform what is called a “knee to knee exam.” Your toddler will be facing you, sitting on your lap, and is leaned back into the doctor’s lap so that she will get a great “dentist’s point of view” of your child’s mouth, shares Dr. Khoury, Pediatric Dentist in Del Mar region.
This can easily be repeated at home, such that while one person is playing and distracting the child, the other person is brushing and flossing. We suggest singing songs, like the ABC’s, just remember that once you reach the end of the song the routine is over.
If only one adult is available, then the floor and your lap can be your best friend! Have the child lay down with their head in your lap, and legs out in front. Allow them to play with a book, or toy, and let the singing and brushing begin!
The first week may be difficult, but as you continue down with this routine, children will adapt easily, and it will become part of their routine, and dare I say, an enjoyable experience for child and parents!?
Please do not forget to floss! Your child may have space in the front of their teeth, but by age three, the spaces in the back begin to close. So incorporating flossing at this stage, will make flossing in the future seamless.
Getting a teenager to brush and floss? Well, that’s a whole other blog post! 🙂
Pediatric Dentist in Del Mar region- call today
To learn more about The Brush Stop Dental. please call 1-760-635-5995 or visit our website at www.thebrushstopdental.com
Feel free to take a tour of the practice: https://thebrushstopdental.com/office-tour/
– Dr. Jenna Khoury, a Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist in Carlsbad, CA.
