Teaching Your Kids About Gum Health

Gum health is an important topic that is often ignored by parents. It isn’t ignored on purpose, but so many parents spend a lot of time focusing on the importance of teeth cleaning that it gets overlooked or completely ignored.

Why it is Important to Teach Children about Gum Health

Children need to know about gum health because it plays a huge role in not only their oral health but their overall health. A child could brush their teeth three times a day and avoid sugary snacks/food, but if they don’t take care of their gums they could end up experiencing pain and even tooth loss.

Starting at a young age you can emphasize that flossing and regular professional cleanings are needed to not only clean the teeth but keep the gums healthy. When the gums are healthy people feel better, have a lower risk of developing serious health problems such as heart disease or diabetes, and they experience fewer dental problems.

Ways You Can Teach Your Child about Gum Health

If you are already teaching your child the importance of brushing their teeth, it will be extremely easy to include the topic of gum health. After all, you are already teaching them about oral health, you just want to make sure you are taking the time to explain how important it is to clean not only their teeth but their gums too.

Some other ways you can teach your child about gum health include:

• Encouraging them to properly brush their teeth and gums
• Show them how to floss so the floss gently gets below the gum line
• Read your child a book that talks about the importance of cleaning their teeth and gums

Sunshine Smiles, a pediatric dental clinic located in central Florida, can help you teach your child the importance of gum health. Schedule an appointment for your child and our office staff will give you suggestions of things you can do to teach your child to keep their gums healthy.