Oral Hygiene Awareness Month

Could you be teaching your child bad oral hygiene habits? You might and you might not even know it.

This year as part of Oral Hygiene Awareness Month take a few moments to review the proper way to brush and floss. Reviewing this information will help you determine if your child might have accidentally picked up a bad habit from you and started incorporating it into their day-to-day oral hygiene routine.

A Look at the Proper Way to Brush Your Teeth

Failing to use the proper brushing technique can cause a number of problems ranging from enamel erosion to gum damage. The following is the proper way to brush your teeth:

• Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle. The head of the brush should be angled towards the gums.
• Do not brush the teeth quickly. Instead, use a very gentle back and forth motion or circular motion.
• Make sure to brush every surface of the teeth including the backs, fronts, and chewing surface
• Don’t forget to gently brush your tongue
• Use the right amount of toothpaste. For children, you should only be using a very small pea-sized amount of toothpaste

A Look at the Proper Way to Floss

Just like with brushing, failing to use the proper technique to floss your teeth can cause damage to the gums and even encourage the spread of tooth decay as the teeth are not being properly cleaned.

To properly floss your teeth do the following:

• Use enough floss. You should be using at least 18 inches of floss every time you floss.
• Use a new section of floss every time you clean in between your teeth.
• Curl the floss so it wraps around the bottoms of the teeth and cleans below the gum line
• Do not snap or pull the floss. Gently move it up and down to remove any plaque that is present.

Have questions about how to properly brush and floss your child’s teeth? Call Sunshine Smiles to schedule an appointment with our pediatric dentist. Our pediatric dentist can provide you with helpful tips on how to make sure your child’s teeth are being properly brushed and flossed.