A guide on how and when to floss your child’s teeth
A child’s oral care routine gradually steps up with the more teeth they grow. It is easier to keep it clean when it’s just a few teeth, but you will need to pay extra attention when they completely grow. At this stage, your kid might still be too young to know how to floss; which means it is your job to do it for them. Training your child on proper oral care from a young age will make them grow with it and maintain good oral hygiene.
You can start flossing for your child from when they grow their first two teeth. Make it a part of their routine. Regular flossing can ensure that food particles and debris don’t remain lodged between their teeth. It also helps manage fresh breath and keep the surface of your child’s teeth clean.
Dentists recommend that you floss your child’s teeth at least once daily, which would take about 2 minutes per session. How you floss your child’s teeth is very important to avoid injury. Follow these steps for effective flossing:
Step 1: Cut off about 18 inches of floss.
Step 2: Wind most of the floss around each of your middle fingers, leaving approximately 2 inches of unwound floss in between. Ensure your fingers are clean to avoid transferring bacteria from one tooth to another
Step 3: Hold the unwind floss tightly between your index fingers and thumb
Step 4: Gentle guide the floss between your child’s teeth. Work the floss in an up-and-down motion around every part of the teeth, and ensure to work below the gum line to effectively remove any particles, debris, or plaques.
Step 5: Curve the floss into a “C” shape when it reaches the gum line to get a thorough cleaning. It is important to be gentle when flossing near the gum. The gum is delicate and pushing the floss down can cause injury to the gum which can lead to more complications.
Step 6: Ensure to repeat the procedure for every part of your teeth
Step 7: Throw away the floss when you are done