How to establish your child’s dental routine: start early!

Dental health and a gorgeous smile begin early in life. Even though teeth begin to develop in the mother’s womb you won’t see them for a while.  So when do you start your child’s dental routine? Even before your child has teeth you can begin caring for your baby’s gums using a soft cloth or piece of gauze. Then as soon as your child’s first tooth pops through, move on to brushing.  Starting early is key to avoiding cavities and gum disease and sets a tone for the importance of routine dental care.  

So, how do you teach your child a dental routine that feels like play? How do you make sure that they’ll look forward to, and enjoy this time? And what steps do you need to take to ensure good oral health?

Supervising and modeling daily habits

Children love to model their folks, and this is the best way to teach them how to protect their dental health.  Show your child, step-by-step, how to use a tongue scraper, to floss, to brush, and then snap-on one of their kid’s toothbrush protectors to seal the routine.   

The 4 how-to steps in a child’s dental routine…

1. Use a tongue scraper
For children over five, begin by using a tongue scraper (with supervision). Sliding a smooth, curved cleaning edge over the tongue removes bacteria.¹  This protects the teeth, lowers malodor, improves taste, and leads to a healthy oral environment.

Teach your child to hold one handle in each hand. Place the curved blade over the back of the tongue and glide forward, scraping off bacteria and debris. Repeat three or four times, twice each day.

2. Smart Floss 
As soon as two teeth touch, it’s time to begin to floss to clean the areas nestled between them. Daily flossing helps to prevent gum disease and tooth decay.²   You can do the flossing for them until they have the dexterity to manage it themselves.

Our Smart Floss is perfect for children as it is soft and gentle on gums and little fingers.  It is easy to use as it expands and curves around each tooth. It is also free from PTFE and PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), which have been shown to harm the thyroid, kidneys and liver.

Teach your child to measure out roughly 18 inches of Smart Floss. Wrap a section around fingers of opposite hands and pull tight. Gently slide in between and around each tooth, moving up and down with a gentle motion. Repeat twice each day.

3. Brush
Brushing our teeth is a twice-daily habit we grownups are used to. Teaching our children to follow suit will help protect them against bacterial growth and cavities, plaque build-up and gum disease, and help to maintain white teeth. But there are toothbrushes and then there are toothbrushes.

DrTung’s Ionic Toothbrush temporarily reverses the polarity of the teeth’s surface. This breaks the bond between the tooth and plaque and repels the plaque. The result is 48% better plaque reduction. Children love it because the brush is soft and gentle on the gums.

Teach your child to wet their fingers and lightly touch the metal band to activate the ionic action while brushing. Then brush properly, twice per day.

4. Protect their toothbrush 
After use, protecting toothbrush bristles from bacteria is the next best step. After all, no-one wants a germy brush!

Your children will love snapping on one of the paw-shaped, earth-friendly Snap-On Toothbrush Protectors — a favorite for kids of all ages. The powerful, natural vapors from the essential oils circulate through bristles, keeping your child’s toothbrush clean and fresh. 

Fun ways to keep kids interested in oral health

Children love games! From the incredibly simple to those that require a little effort, this is a great way to link oral health and your child’s dental routine with happiness. Ask your child what they’d love to do! Kids are full of wonderful ideas.

Collect one gold star for each of the four steps. Once they are the proud owner of 20, let them choose their favorite healthy snack or tooth-related coloring page.

Whether using a manual, power or Ionic Toothbrush, it takes two-minutes for a proper clean. Depending on your child’s age, count to 120-seconds together or flip a two-minute hourglass and watch the sand run down. 

Together read The Tooth Book by Dr Seuss.

The Takeaway

To avoid bacterial build-up, prevent plaque, steer clear from decay, and protect oral health, it’s important to start your child’s dental routine early in life. With these four steps and some creative fun, protecting your child’s dental health can be simple and enjoyable.