A Kids Dental Cleaning Starts at Home

Schedule a kids dental cleaning to help your child have improved oral health. While these appointments should happen twice a year, it is important to continue brushing and flossing at home. To that point, many parents want to know what type of toothbrush to buy and how to help their kids use it correctly.

Here are some basic rules to tooth brushing

1. Start with the right toothbrush

Not all toothbrushes are created equal. In fact, some are actually not good for teeth at all. For example, a hard toothbrush with stiff bristles can erode the enamel on the surface of the teeth. Over time, the enamel can erode enough to cause sensitivity and make teeth more susceptible to decay or damage. We instead recommend using a toothbrush with soft bristles, preferably electronic or battery-operated.

2. Use a toothpaste with fluoride

An important part of kids dental cleaning at home is using the right toothpaste. We suggest using one with fluoride, a mineral that can help strengthen and harden the enamel. This reduces the likelihood of children suffering from dental decay or their teeth becoming damaged. At this young age, it is not necessary to worry about whitening their teeth with whitening toothpaste. Instead, stick with the basic fluoride toothpaste in a flavor that they can tolerate.

3. Purchase flossing tools

Most kids hate to floss. Fortunately, there are flossing tools that make it more tolerable and even fun. These tools combine a pick with floss. Older children can floss by themselves, while younger children will continue to need help. Be sure to floss their teeth every day, since this is the only way to remove plaque from between the teeth and around the gum line.

Brush correctly

With the correct tools purchased and available for use, now it is time to brush and floss correctly. We recommend doing the following:

• Brush in a circular motion
• Start at the gum line, and brush toward the center of the mouth
• Break the mouth into quadrants, brushing each section for 30 seconds
• Brush for a total of two minutes
• Floss all the way along the side of the teeth, continuing past the gum line

If teeth do not feel entirely clean when done, brush again. It should only be necessary to do this twice per day. But eating or drinking anything high in sugar will create more plaque and may make it necessary to brush more often. As such, parents should make a conscious effort to prevent their child from coming in contact with foods containing sugar. Simple steps to achieve this goal include having children only drink water and eat whole foods for snacks, such as cheese, apples and carrots.

Schedule a professional kids dental cleaning

For more information on how to correctly brush and floss teeth at home, schedule an appointment with our office. After cleaning your child's teeth, we can answer questions and provide more information about oral health.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Canyon Ridge Pediatric Dentistry, request an appointment in our Parker dental office here: http://www.canyonridgepediatricdentistry.com. Or call us at (303) 841-7900.