Establishing Great Dental Health Early

Making sure your smile is healthy and lasts a lifetime begins in childhood, and that means parents have yet another vital responsibility. As a proud family dental clinic, we have the privilege of working with many Calgary parents, and we often get asked about how they can help their kids develop the oral hygiene habits they’ll need for life.

Brush with Your Child.

While your son or daughter will likely be heading to bed a few hours before you, we still encourage parents to brush their teeth at the same time as their child every morning and night. When you brush with your child, you act as a role model for how long and where to brush, and you show (rather than tell) them that brushing is an important and adult thing to do.

Teach them How to Floss.

Dental floss is a necessary part of the dental routine. It protects the areas of a tooth that your brush can’t reach and helps prevent gum disease. Many of our adult patients struggle with flossing enough, and (like washing hands after using the washroom) this is a habit that very much starts during childhood. Give your kid a head start to great oral care by showing them how to floss and explaining that a little bleeding is okay, and it just means they need to floss again tomorrow.

Going to the Dentist.

With our young patients, we often advise parents to bring their child around a day or two before their first appointment. That way their child can get used to our dental clinic, smell the dentistry-scents, see our uniforms, and maybe meet the dentist and even sit in the chair. New experiences in an unusual place can make kids nervous, so we strive to help your son or daughter feel welcome and comfortable at our office. After all, with any luck we’ll be helping them take care of their oral health for many years.

Making sure your child has great dental hygiene begins as soon as their first tiny tooth sprouts from their cute, little gums. For a few years brushing and flossing is going to be your job, but eventually you’ll need to teach your little one to clean their teeth all by themselves. And when you do, you’ll be setting them up for excellent oral care forever.

Have any questions about how to keep your child’s teeth in great shape? Your friendly, family dentists at Centennial Smiles would be happy to help you out. Book an appointment or just call us for the dental advice your need at (587) 317-7959.