Allen Dentistry is all about healthy smiles. Dr. Nylander and his team of dental professionals love working with kids and patients of all ages. We can help you and your kids maintain excellent oral hygiene and avoid cavities with our comfortable, expert, helpful service of Allen Kids Dentist. We are your Allen kids dentist.
Dental hygiene is essential to clean the mouth and prevent dental problems such as cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. You and your kids will feel great if you prevent your teeth and gums from getting unhealthy. You’ll also feel great about saving time and money because you will spend less time in the dentist’s chair. One of our objectives is for your children’s teeth to last a lifetime. We can assist you in teaching them how to care for their teeth at home.
Clean, healthy teeth and gums are the foundation of cavity prevention. Your kids will have the best dental health if you help them practice these cleaning and dental hygiene habits.
Download Dental Apps to Help With Brushing
Make brushing fun by downloading some dental apps. Brush Up is a fun toothbrush training game for kids. Budd, the toothbrush tutor, teaches kids how to care for their oral health. He shows you how to brush correctly and encourages you to brush twice daily. Or an entertaining app called Brush DJ can help you brush for the recommended time. It features a music library that you may play for two minutes at a time.
Brushing can reduce plaque and other harmful substances. Plaque is a sticky film that forms on the surface of teeth. It’s a bacterial colony made up of food waste and saliva. Plaque bacteria break down food particles into acids, which cause tooth decay.
Let Them Choose a Fun Toothbrush
Let your child select a fun toothbrush. If they love their toothbrush, they might be more excited to brush their teeth. Brush your teeth with a toothbrush with a gentle bristle. Brush in a tiny, circular motion at a 45-degree angle to the gums, ensuring the bristles are always on the gums. Cover the tooth fronts, tops, and backs. Use an ADA-approved soft bristle brush and ADA-approved toothpaste.
Opt for an Electric Toothbrush
Your kids may be excited about using an electric toothbrush, encouraging them to brush. Electric toothbrushes can clean teeth more effectively than regular toothbrushes. Dr. Nylander can help you choose the best electric toothbrush brands and show you how to use them correctly.
Pick a New Flavor Toothpaste and Mouthwash
The same goes for toothpaste. Let your child select a new flavor or toothpaste. Your child might not be interested in using your mint-flavored toothpaste, but they will like using their strawberry, bubblegum, or watermelon-flavored variety—the same with mouthwash. Let them pick a fun flavor of mouthwash. Have your child rinse their mouth with a fun-flavored fluoride mouthwash, especially after brushing and flossing and before going to bed. Make sure your kids spit the mouthwash out after rinsing, or it can cause stomach aches.
Make Brushing an Activity
One suggestion is to get a colorful sand timer that will motivate your youngster to brush but also make it a fun activity. You might select a song to enjoy as you brush. Brushing for two minutes at least twice a day is recommended. Also, brush after meals and snacks when possible. Brush your teeth before going to bed.
Brush your tongue, gums, and much of the inner region of your mouth should. Consider using a tongue scraper to clean the tongue. Plaque can form throughout your mouth, resulting in bad breath and poor oral hygiene. A tongue scraper is a specialized device that can provide extra tongue cleaning after brushing. Studies have shown that a tongue scraper can clean up to 30% more than just brushing the tongue alone.
Choose Different Types of Floss
There are more options available than the standard string floss. Have your child pick out their floss. For example, stick floss comes in various colors and is sometimes easier for kids. Or let them pick a water flosser. You can add stickers and make it more like a fun toy. However, regular floss comes in various colors and flavors that your child might enjoy.
Floss every time you brush, if possible. It disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing gum, tooth, and bone damage.
Help Them Learn By Example
Kids learn by observing. Use a tongue scraper together. Or turn it into a game. See who can stick out their tongue the furthest. Have everyone scrape the germs away at the same time.
Reward Your Child for Picking Out Healthy Snacks
It is essential to teach your children about healthy nutrition. Especially with children, a bad diet with harmful foods can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Sugary, acidic meals and drinks, such as sweets and fruit juices, can wear down tooth enamel and lead to cavities. Fortunately, you don’t need to completely cut them out of your diet if you and your kids practice good dental hygiene. Create a reward system. Every time they opt for a healthy snack, give them a sticker. At the end of the week, they get a toy or reward if they have seven stickers.
Read Books and Watch Videos on Oral Hygiene
There are a ton of great books out there on oral hygiene and going to the dentist. Reading is fun, and kids are more likely to get excited about good oral health by seeing and learning how fun it is. Some of our favorites include:
- What to Expect When You Go to the Dentist by Heidi Murkoff
- The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss
- My First Visit to the Dentist by Eve Marleau
- The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- Brush, Brush, Brush! by Alicia Padron
Kids love watching videos on YouTube. There are surprisingly many entertaining and educational videos about dental health on YouTube, covering everything from seeing the dentist and getting fillings to at-home oral hygiene. A few fun videos are:
The Best Family Dental Hygiene Care in Allen, Texas
We emphasize the importance of good brushing and flossing habits for children. We ask that parents continually work with their children as they learn to perform these essential dental hygienic habits until their children can do an excellent job independently.
Your Allen Kids Dentist
Schedule an appointment with Allen Dentistry today. We’ll provide unrivaled dental care using state-of-the-art technology in a fun environment. We are excited to meet you and to see that big Texas smile. Call us today!
