Tooth Brushing tips for the whole family

Here at Clyde Munro Dental Group, we’re often asked for our advice and tips on tooth brushing techniques to help children learn a good routine from a young age. While this is extremely important, as it helps to place the foundation for a lifetime of excellent oral health care, we also feel that more emphasis needs to be placed on brushing tips for the family as a whole.

Don’t worry, we’re not about to start teaching you all how to suck eggs, we do know that you’re very aware of the importance of brushing, flossing and rinsing! However, what can often happen over time is that our focus will be placed more on getting little ones to brush, leaving our own routine more rushed than it should be. So our first piece of advice is to make time for yourself (actually, that goes for lots of aspects of your day)! Don’t try to incorporate your own routine with that of your kids, because you’ll probably stop and start to help them out where necessary and this often means you’ll end up missing out. Take the time to dedicate two minutes to brushing all areas of the mouth, followed by flossing and rinsing really well. Our dentists often find that doing this before the kids wake up and after they’re in bed for the night is the best way to avoid interruptions!

Let’s also not forget about teenagers. While you will have spent countless hours instilling a great oral care regime with them when they were small, when puberty hits all sorts of good habits fly out of the window. Added to that, lots of adolescents will also be undergoing orthodontic treatment, so it is even more important to have a good cleaning routine in place to avoid plaque build-up around fixed appliances. A watchful eye now and then, along with a nudge of encouragement (we know they’ll just call you a nag, but it’s worth it) will go a long way while they get through these few years of angst!

When it comes to brushing tips for smaller children, we advise cleaning the gums of babies to keep the mouth area fresh and to get them used to the feeling, too. Brushing is vital once milk teeth start to erupt, and as soon as any teeth touch you can introduce flossing, too. There are plenty of products available for babies and young children, and our dental teams will be more than happy to discuss these with you to help you find the best solutions for your family.

If you have any questions on incorporating a good home care routine for the whole family, why not book an appointment at your nearest Clyde Munro practice, where we will be more than happy to discuss this with you. Just search for your nearest Clyde Munro practice using our dental practice finder.