Charlotte Children’s Dentist Offers Flossing Tips for Kids

If you counted all things that you make your kids do—for their own good!—you’d be busy all day. And you’re busy enough. So, Charlotte children’s dentist Dr. Mujica at All Kids Pediatric Dentistry would like to help you convince your kids to floss. Here are five tips that will make any kid a flossing fan!

Give ‘Em a Gold Star

You have a chart for when they clean their rooms and when they finish their homework, so why not a chart for when they floss, too? You can draw a chart together with your child, or there are many options online that you can download. To track the days they floss, let your son or daughter affix a sticker. You decide how many days in row they need to floss in order to receive a reward—maybe a later bedtime one night on the weekend.

Let’s Do the Floss!

Make flossing a fun activity for children. Find a song they like and let your kids floss to the music. Something with a slow and steady beat works best so they don’t get too aggressive with flossing, which can hurt delicate gum tissue.

Flossing and Math

Most people don’t think to put flossing and math together, but this is a great opportunity to help young children learn how to count. You little one has 20 teeth in his or her mouth. While you floss for them or when they attempt to do it themselves, the two of you can count teeth as you progress from one to the next.

Once Upon a Time…

Use your imagination to create a magical story about those naughty bacteria that try to hurt your child’s teeth and the hero that comes to the rescue. Floss! While you capture their attention, the time it takes to floss will go by more quickly.

Make Flossing Easy

Sometimes a long string of floss can be difficult for little hands to manage. Instead, buy a package of floss sticks, which are available in many colors. They’re small and have a short piece of floss anchored between two plastic tips. Have your child use one for their upper teeth and one for the lower.

Good Job!

Every time you child flosses, be sure to pile on the praise. With your approval and encouragement, good oral hygiene that includes flossing will become a lifelong habit.

Contact Our Office Today

For more advice on you can help your children enjoy healthy and beautiful smiles, call All Kids Pediatric Dentistry today.