Let's answer the question of how often are you supposed to brush your teeth first.
Did you answer 2x a day? That answer .... is technically incorrect!
Brushing your teeth only two times a day causes too much time for bacteria to grow. It is incredibly difficult for children to brush three times a day when they are in school. Teeth should be cleaned after eating, and it should take two to three minutes for the process to be complete. If you are like me, and have difficulty eating breakfast with morning breath, rinse your mouth first. Then, eat and brush your teeth.
Children do best with a timer so they know how long to brush. There are mouthwashes that have you brush until you remove all of the dye, but it is just as easy (and cheaper) to use an egg timer.
Next question ... how do you teach a child to brush their teeth? The answer ....
By brushing their teeth for them as they age! You do not need to scrub the teeth, nor do you need a stiff bristle brush! Brushing with a soft or medium bristle brush in circles gently on each tooth is the best way to clean them without causing damage. You want to make sure you show your child to brush from the front of the gums all the way around to the back of the tooth.
Final question ... at what age do you start to brush the teeth of your child? The answer ....
As soon as they are born! There are finger brushes that you will want to rub on their gums two to three times a day. Whether they nurse or drink formula, they will develop bacteria in their mouth. The gums and the tongue are just important to clean as the teeth.
In conclusion
- Brush THREE times a day
- Floss after every meal
- Use only soft or medium bristle brushes
- Brush for two to three minutes
- and START EARLY!
So ... how did you do on the "oral" exam?
Hi Heather. I failed - I brush twice a day. I need to get in the habit of brushing after I eat!
ReplyDeleteInteresting story, we live south of Jefferson City in the Ozarks. I was very faithful in brushing my daughter's teeth and making sure she brushed when she got older. When she was in high school, she came to me with pieces of a lower back molar in her hand. When I took her to the dentist, at first he chewed me out for not having her brush her teeth.
I was indignant, as I had been as good a mom in that area as I could, and she visited the dentist every year. Turned out that fluoride was to blame. We have a lot of natural fluoride in our well water, and it's not good for developing teeth. The same molar on the other side needed to be capped. He just pulled the rest of the other molar out, because her wisdom teeth hadn't come in and figured it will fill in the space.
Thanks for this post.
All the best,
Leslie