10 Oral Health Tips For Kids (and Their Parents!)
No parenting book can prepare you for trying to hold a 4-year-old still while you brush their teeth for two minutes. We’re going to share 10 oral health tips for kids and their parents, so you can make morning and bedtime routines less of a fight. And more importantly, protect your child’s oral health - because they only get one mouth!
Key Takeaways
- Starting oral care early (before the first tooth pops through) gives you a head start.
- You will likely brush your kids’ teeth until they’re 6 or 7 years old.
- Plaque buildup from poor brushing habits is the froot cause of most preventable dental problems.
- You must make oral care fun in order for habits to stick in the long term.
- Make it a point to get your kid in the dentist's chair once every 6 months.
Top 10 Oral Health Tips For Kids
Practice all ten of these kids’ oral health tips and your child will have positive checkups and a beautiful smile. You’ll also have a much easier time as a parent! Everyone wins.
1. Begin Making Oral Health a Priority ASAP
So many parents think they need to wait to see the first tooth pop through to begin implementing oral care measures. But we actually recommend wiping your kid’s gums down after each feeding. One, this keeps bacteria in the mouth to a minimum. Two, it gets your kiddo used to having their mouth interacted with.
Then, you can begin brushing each individual tooth that starts popping through. You only need a rice-grain smear of toothpaste. Pediatric dentist at Akron Children’s Hospital, Dr. Brian Martin, says, “Prevention and developing simple, everyday routines and habits will get your kids off to that great start.”1
2. Know When to Give Them Control
Kids will want to start brushing their own teeth long before they can actually manage it. Their fine motor skills should catch up by the time they’re 6-7 years old. Wait for when they can tie their own shoes or write their name. However, you can let them practice with your supervision earlier than that. You can follow up with your own pass afterward to really clean their teeth.
3. Find Ways to Make Brushing More Fun
One of the most important oral health tips for kids is to make it a fun ritual. Not something they dread. This starts with communication. Demanding they brush their teeth and threatening consequences if they don’t turns it into a chore.
On the other hand, there are so many fun ways to get kids to brush their teeth! Songs, sticker charts, brushing timers on a phone, and even letting them pick their own brush at the store. You may even try brushing your teeth at the same time as your kid, making it something you guys do together every single day.
4. Practice Proper Brushing Technique
Brushing for two minutes, twice a day, is not necessarily one of those oral health tips for kids that you didn’t already know. But how you brush can be just as important. Technique is everything.
Angle the brush at 45 degrees to the gumline and use small circles. Most kids scrub back and forth like they’re sanding wood. Encourage them to slow down (or, if you’re brushing your own child’s teeth, YOU slow down!). Make it a point to cover every surface. Front, back, chewing surfaces, and of course, the tongue.
5. Pick a Better Toothpaste
One of the best oral hygiene tips for kids we have to offer: look beyond the basic drugstore formulas. Kids’ toothpastes are notoriously minty, gritty, and foamy. Children hate them. So, you need a toothpaste your little one tolerates AND one that actually works.
LIVFRESH Kids+ Toothpaste features Activated Edathamil, an ingredient backed by 40 clinical studies and 40 patents. Brushing with LIVFRESH Kids+ Toothpaste removes plaque 250% better than a leading ADA-approved toothpaste.
Your child will appreciate the smoother gel format, the bubblegum flavor, and the abrasive-free formula. It’s safe to swallow (although here’s another really important kids’ oral health tip: encourage spitting!).
If you only take one of our oral health tips for kids, let it be this: set them up for success with the best kids' toothpaste.
6. Start Flossing When Two Teeth Touch
Flossing gets overlooked in most oral hygiene tips for kids. It becomes just as non-negotiable as brushing when your child has two teeth touching. You will probably have to floss your child’s teeth yourself, according to Dr. Anne Clemons with Cleveland Clinic.2
String floss obviously works, but floss picks tend to be easier to use. Most children can take over flossing by the time they’re 7-8 years old, especially if you show them how to actually do it (working along each side of the gum).
7. Dial in Their Diet
We don’t have to remind you what a problem sugar can be for kids’ oral health and health in general. But really what matters most is frequency. A candy bar every so often isn’t going to lead to cavities. Sipping juice every afternoon can, though.
The problem with sugar is that bacteria in your mouth feed on it, and leave behind acid as a byproduct. That acid eats away at enamel, which tends to be softer in children to begin with.
So, swapping sugar, starchy snacks/beverages with cheese, yogurt, crunchy veggies/fruits, and plain water is a great piece of advice for any parent wondering how to prevent cavities in kids.
8. Keep Them in a 6-Month Dental Checkup Cadence
There’s only so much you can do at home. Even practicing all our oral health tips for kids isn’t a replacement for professional care. A dental hygienist can remove tartar buildup from your child’s teeth. Their dentist will spot early warning signs, saving more complicated (and costly) work down the road. Every six months is the cadence you want to get into.
9. Teach Them the Importance of Oral Hygiene
Kids follow rules better when they understand the reason behind them. Explain what happens when kids don't brush their teeth: the sticky film that builds up, the spots that start to turn yellow, and the extra time spent in a dentist’s chair.
10. Watch Out For the Warning Signs of More Serious Issues
One of the final oral health tips for kids we want to share is to stay vigilant. Some of the telltale signs something isn’t right with your kiddo’s oral health include:
- Persistent bad breath
- Bleeding during brushing
- White/brown spots on teeth
- Sensitivity to hot or cold
- Complaints about pain
More of these are treatable if you act early. But the treatment plan becomes more convoluted and costly the longer you wait.
So, start with the best of all oral hygiene tips for kids: figuring out how to get plaque off kids' teeth. Brushing with LIVFRESH Kids+ Toothpaste cleans teeth on a molecular level. Order now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my child need fluoride?
We get asked often, do kids need fluoride toothpaste? Some dentists say they shouldn’t use it early on since they may swallow it. You may want to use a fluoride-free toothpaste until they’re around the age of 12. Then, you can consider upgrading them to the best fluoride toothpaste.
Are dental sealants worth it for kids?
They can be. Sealants coat the chewing surfaces of molars where cavities are most likely to form. They’re painless, fast, and typically covered by insurance.
How do I make brushing fun?
Songs, timers, letting them pick their own toothbrush and toothpaste. Brushing together as a family. Whatever it takes to get your child to commit to two minutes, twice a day.
Is a broken or chipped tooth a dental emergency?
You should definitely call your dentist. They’ll check whether the break affects the permanent tooth underneath if it’s a baby tooth. Save any pieces if it’s a permanent tooth. Rinse with warm water and get to the office as soon as you can.
References
- Martin, B. "Have kids hone good dental habits early in life." Akron Children's Hospital. Akron Children's
- Clemons, A. "Caring for Children's Teeth." Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic
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This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for advice from your dentist or healthcare provider. Where this article describes gum health benefits of a LIVFRESH product, including help with bleeding gums, gingivitis, or periodontitis, those benefits refer to the LIVFRESH Gum Protect+ product line and do not apply to our fluoride-free formula. Gingivitis and periodontitis claims are based on CE Mark certification. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.