Taking care of your teeth is a lifelong commitment. And the effort that is put in early in life can pay huge dividends decades later.
You only get one set of permanent teeth. So it is incumbent upon each of us to take care of them. If we don’t brush, floss, and see the dentist at least twice per year it can easily lead to tooth loss, gum disease, and painful oral health problems.
That’s why it’s so important for parents to get their children into the habit of taking care of their teeth at an early age.
Children and Oral Care
Children should be taught to brush their teeth at least twice per day: Once as soon as they get up in the morning and again right before they go to bed. Although kids will lose all of their baby teeth usually by the age of 8 or 9, the habits they develop when they are 3 or 4 can stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Parents should teach their children how to brush their teeth properly as soon as they are old enough to hold a toothbrush and do it on their own. Then they need to supervise their kids to make sure they are sticking to it.
Good Habits Early
Kids don’t have the same social pressures to care for their teeth as adults. They don’t usually have to worry about bad breath or be shy about having crooked or stained teeth the way grownups often do.
But when they develop healthy brushing habits at an early age, they can reap the benefits throughout the rest of their lives. Then, when they are in their older years they can have a healthy bright smile that can open doors for them and make other people like them.
It all starts with their parents.
