{"id":999,"date":"2020-01-29T15:28:46","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T20:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=999"},"modified":"2020-01-29T15:29:45","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T20:29:45","slug":"teaching-dental-care-to-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Dental Care Habits to Your Child"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A lifetime of strong teeth and dental health starts with\ngood habits as a child. But brushing your teeth can be a challenge when you\naren\u2019t sure how or even why it\u2019s important! Teaching dental care to your children\nis a core part of parenting. Start them off with great dental habits and they\ncan enjoy a cavity-free life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a parent and worried about your child\u2019s oral\nhealth, we\u2019re here to help! Read on to learn tips for teaching your children\nhow to brush and making it easier to keep them on track with dental hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teach Brushing Habits Early<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When teaching dental care to children, the best thing you\ncan do is start early. From the moment their first tooth comes in, you can\nstart building a system for brushing their teeth. Use a very soft brush (or\neven a soft cloth) to gently wipe their teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they age to about a year and a half, you can start\nincorporating a small amount of toothpaste. Look for children\u2019s toothpaste that\ndoesn\u2019t contain fluoride, as there is a risk from ingesting too much fluoride.\nUse this opportunity to get them familiar with brushing and encourage them to\nspit the toothpaste out instead of swallowing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While baby teeth aren\u2019t permanent, they\u2019re still important\nto brush! Bacteria in a child\u2019s mouth can leave them susceptible to gum disease\nand decay. It\u2019s also a great time to familiarize them with a routine of\nbrushing in the morning and the evening. The earlier they start a dental care\nroutine, the easier it will be to get them to continue brushing and flossing as\nthey age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start with the Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After decades of brushing your teeth, you may think of it as\nsecond nature. But without proper instruction, children\nmay develop bad brushing habits<\/a>. When teaching dental care to your child,\nmake sure to focus on the basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding the Brush \u2013<\/strong> Most people are likely to start\nby holding the brush straight to their teeth. However, they should hold the\nbrush at a slight angle from the gums. This lets the bristles fully cover the\nteeth during brushing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Short Strokes \u2013<\/strong> Show them how to brush in quick\nback-and-forth motions, slowly transitioning the brush across the row of teeth\nto ensure every tooth has a few seconds of thorough cleaning. You want to avoid\ngoing too fast to properly clean teeth, but also too slow where you may\nover-brush and wear down their enamel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Forget the Gums \u2013<\/strong> Cleaning bacteria from their\ngums is critical, especially as children\noften drink sugary drinks<\/a> that leave their mouth vulnerable to bacterial\ngrowth. Proper gum care is easier when it\u2019s regular; if you allow gum disease\nto set in, children may experience pain and be less likely to keep brushing\ntheir gums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Forget the Backs \u2013<\/strong> Because we see the front\nsides of our children\u2019s teeth, it\u2019s easy to spot when they\u2019re not brushing\nenough. But the rear side of their teeth is just as vulnerable to decay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tongue Brushing \u2013<\/strong> Bacteria also grows on their\ntongue. Incorporate tongue brushing (either with the toothbrush or a separate\ntongue scraper) early to avoid surprise cavities and gum disease!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always Brush & Floss as a Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When teaching dental care, it\u2019s important to follow your own\ninstructions. If your children don\u2019t see you taking the time to brush twice a\nday for a full two minutes, why should they? When you start, you\u2019ll be right\nalongside them brushing and flossing to help guide them. And there\u2019s no reason\nto stop!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they age up to their teens, if you keep brushing as a\nfamily event, you\u2019re all more likely to practice good habits. Working together\ngives you both accountability and support through something that will be of the\nutmost\nimportance to their long-term health.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep brushing together as part of your morning and bedtime\nroutines. It\u2019s okay if you can\u2019t do it every day \u2013 but making an effort to work\ntogether will improve your whole family\u2019s oral health<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try Apps to Make Brushing Fun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s fair to say that brushing your teeth isn\u2019t the most\nexciting thing. Especially\nfor children<\/a>, it can be hard to explain the importance of long-term dental\ncare. Instead of treating it like a chore, you may be able to find a way to\ntreat it more like a fun activity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apps\nfor children\u2019s dental care<\/a> exist and cover a wide range of functionalities.\nThe most important of which is a timer to help them brush for the full two\nminutes as recommended by dentists. These apps can also feature music, games\nand scoring systems that encourage them to brush every day by rewarding them as\nthey track their toothbrushing in the app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Less Toothpaste for Children<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fluoride is good for\nyour teeth, but it\u2019s not healthy if ingested. Small amounts of fluoride aren\u2019t\nlikely to cause concern, but fluorosis is a possibility if your child swallows\ntoo much. When they\u2019re first learning how to brush properly, it\u2019s typical for\nthem to swallow toothpaste instead of spitting it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure when they\nbrush that they\u2019re spitting the toothpaste out instead of swallowing. If they\u2019re\nhaving trouble remembering, try using smaller amounts of toothpaste to help them\navoid ingesting too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Healthy Smile Leads to a Healthy Body<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We want to help you maintain good oral health and a\nbeautiful smile. Regular teeth cleaning and dental check-ups are an important\npart of your routine, just like brushing and flossing. Schedule an appointment<\/a> with\nus or call and take the first step toward keeping your smile radiant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grosse Pointe Farms: (313) 881-2480<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Township: (586) 803-8300<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t miss a thing! Connect with us on Facebook<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

A lifetime of strong teeth and dental health starts with
\ngood habits as a child. But brushing your teeth can be a challenge when you
\naren\u2019t sure how or even why it\u2019s important! Teaching dental care to your children
\nis a core part of parenting. Start them off with great dental habits and they
\ncan enjoy a cavity-free life!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re … Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,89],"tags":[105,104],"class_list":["post-999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dental-tips","category-general-dentistry","tag-dental-care-for-children","tag-preventive-dental-care"],"yoast_head":"\nTeaching Dental Care to Your Child | Pointe Dental Group | Detroit, MI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Need tips on teaching dental care to your child? Learn the best ways to get your child brushing daily, from Pointe Dental Group in Shelby Township & Grosse Pointe, MI.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Teaching Dental Care to Your Child | Pointe Dental Group | Detroit, MI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Need tips on teaching dental care to your child? Learn the best ways to get your child brushing daily, from Pointe Dental Group in Shelby Township & Grosse Pointe, MI.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pointe Dental Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PointeDental\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-29T20:28:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-01-29T20:29:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"401\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Pointe Dental Group\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Pointe Dental Group\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/\",\"name\":\"Teaching Dental Care to Your Child | Pointe Dental Group | Detroit, MI\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-29T20:28:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-29T20:29:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1f4cad04329ec6216f96fd977cff9c52\"},\"description\":\"Need tips on teaching dental care to your child? Learn the best ways to get your child brushing daily, from Pointe Dental Group in Shelby Township & Grosse Pointe, MI.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Teaching Dental Care Habits to Your Child\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pointe Dental Group\",\"description\":\"Grosse Pointe & Shelby Twp\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1f4cad04329ec6216f96fd977cff9c52\",\"name\":\"Pointe Dental Group\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a0fc60fe92df1815db4460a3e216486b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a0fc60fe92df1815db4460a3e216486b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Pointe Dental Group\"},\"description\":\"Two locations in Michigan: Grosse Pointe Farms & Shelby Twp. At Pointe Dental Group, we strive to consistently provide innovative dental services utilizing superior technology. Our goal is to enable our patients to maintain their oral health in maximum comfort, function and aesthetics for a lifetime. We encourage you to meet our staff of caring and compassionate professionals!\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PointeDental\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/PointeDental\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/author\/pointe-dental-group\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Teaching Dental Care to Your Child | Pointe Dental Group | Detroit, MI","description":"Need tips on teaching dental care to your child? Learn the best ways to get your child brushing daily, from Pointe Dental Group in Shelby Township & Grosse Pointe, MI.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Teaching Dental Care to Your Child | Pointe Dental Group | Detroit, MI","og_description":"Need tips on teaching dental care to your child? Learn the best ways to get your child brushing daily, from Pointe Dental Group in Shelby Township & Grosse Pointe, MI.","og_url":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/","og_site_name":"Pointe Dental Group","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PointeDental","article_published_time":"2020-01-29T20:28:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-01-29T20:29:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":401,"url":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Pointe Dental Group","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Pointe Dental Group","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/","url":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/","name":"Teaching Dental Care to Your Child | Pointe Dental Group | Detroit, MI","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg","datePublished":"2020-01-29T20:28:46+00:00","dateModified":"2020-01-29T20:29:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1f4cad04329ec6216f96fd977cff9c52"},"description":"Need tips on teaching dental care to your child? Learn the best ways to get your child brushing daily, from Pointe Dental Group in Shelby Township & Grosse Pointe, MI.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/pointe-dental-group-teaching-dental-care.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/teaching-dental-care-to-children\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Teaching Dental Care Habits to Your Child"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/","name":"Pointe Dental Group","description":"Grosse Pointe & Shelby Twp","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1f4cad04329ec6216f96fd977cff9c52","name":"Pointe Dental Group","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a0fc60fe92df1815db4460a3e216486b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a0fc60fe92df1815db4460a3e216486b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Pointe Dental Group"},"description":"Two locations in Michigan: Grosse Pointe Farms & Shelby Twp. At Pointe Dental Group, we strive to consistently provide innovative dental services utilizing superior technology. Our goal is to enable our patients to maintain their oral health in maximum comfort, function and aesthetics for a lifetime. We encourage you to meet our staff of caring and compassionate professionals!","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PointeDental","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/PointeDental"],"url":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/author\/pointe-dental-group\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=999"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1003,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999\/revisions\/1003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}