Dental Care For Kids - Getting Into A Routine Is Most Important

The best dental care for kids we can do at home is developing a good routine for brushing, flossing and other dental health.

Sometimes this is easier said than done though, when things get busy in your home.

To get some good ideas and tips for what works best, I got a chance to talk to a dentist who is also a mother of four children under the age of 10, Dr. Jennifer Salzer.

I thought, who better to give some good ideas on helping our kids with dental health than someone who deals with this professionally, everyday, and also at home with her own kids!

Watch my video interview with dentist Dr. Salzer below, and then scroll down for some of my additional thoughts, plus a bonus printable that can help you in the morning with your own kids.

Please note that this interview was sponsored by Crest, so Dr. Salzer discusses some of these products within the video. However, whether you use Crest or another brand the information and ideas regarding developing routines for dental care for kids will remain the same.

*** Edited to add: This interview happened several years ago, and the video is no longer available. ***

More Thoughts And Ideas About Developing A Dental Routine For Kids

I thought Dr. Salzer gave some really great ideas for how to get our kids into a good routine for taking care of their teeth each day.

Of course, like many things in life starting early is important, so kids get that dental care routine ingrained in them for life.

Tips For Young Children: At first, with very young kids you will need to help them care for their teeth. What works well in our house, since young children are often attempting to assert their independence, is to take turns. I get a turn brushing my youngest child's teeth, and she gets a turn too. This means she gets to practice, and show she is a big girl, but I get to make sure all areas of the teeth get brushed during my turn.

Since I've talked with Dr. Salzer I'm also attempting to instruct her a bit more during her turn, getting her to brush each section of her teeth separately. It has helped her understand what the point of brushing is, and is making sure she is learning not to miss big sections within her mouth.

Tips For Older Children: Once your child is old enough to brush their teeth by themselves, I have found I still need to occassionaly watch what they are doing to make sure they aren't developing any bad or lazy habits when it comes to brushing their teeth.

In theory, they may know the right way to brush teeth, but may not understand the long term implications of bad dental care for kids, even into adulthood. Therefore, I periodically will watch what they do to make sure they are doing all the steps they need to do properly, and for a sufficient amount of time.

Again, since this interview I've discussed more how to brush each section of their teeth separately, and this has helped my older kids too, to make sure they focus enough attention on each area of their mouth. I love brilliant and simple suggestions like this one!

Morning Routine Printable From Dr. Salzer

As promised in the video Dr. Salzer provided me with a copy of the chart she made for her own kids. It doesn't just focus on dental care for kids, but instead that is just one part of her children's morning routine.

Below is a PDF version of the chart you can print out and use in your own home for your own kids if you want, or perhaps it can help give you ideas for one you can make yourself.

Morning Routine Chart From Dr. Salzer

What Are Your Ideas And Strategies For Promoting Good Dental Care For Kids At Home?

Although Dr. Salzer and I shared some of our tips and strategies, there are always lots of ways that work to help kids take care of their teeth.

I would love for you to share your dental health routine for your kids in the comments, and provide some tips and ideas of what works for you to help kids brush their teeth properly, and otherwise take care of their teeth.

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