Dr. Rojas suggests\u00a0flossing as soon as any two of your child’s teeth touch each other. \u00a0Once a child\u2019s teeth start to fit closely together, usually between the ages of two and six, parents should start to get their children in the habit of flossing daily. \u00a0As they develop dexterity, you can help them learn to floss. \u00a0Dr. Rojas suggests that you allow your child to\u00a0floss his\/her\u00a0own teeth when their handwriting is clear and legible (watch out for those doctors to be!!).<\/p>\n
Flossing removes food from between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach. \u00a0To stress the importance of flossing, do it for them regularly until they’re able to do it themselves. \u00a0This will help them develop a good habit of flossing while they still have their baby teeth so that when their permanent teeth come in, they already have flossing worked into their daily oral routine.<\/p>\n
Use floss that is soft and flexible so that it doesn’t hurt their teeth and is comfortable on their gums. Dr. Rojas \u00a0is OK with\u00a0children using floss holders but only for their front teeth.<\/p>\n
Parents should continue to help the child floss his\/her molars as the the string in floss holders is usually thicker and harder to use which could discourage the child from continued flossing.<\/p>\n
A water flosser (e.i.,\u00a0Waterpik\u00ae<\/sup>) for kids may also be used but only after age 6. \u00a0These water-based flossers are\u00a0perfect for any kid who has braces\u00a0or has trouble flossing.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry if your child\u2019s gums bleed at first\u2014this is quite common. \u00a0After a few days of flossing, the bleeding should stop as their gums become healthier. But if the bleeding persists, consult your dentist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Rojas suggests\u00a0flossing as soon as any two of your child’s teeth touch each other. \u00a0Once a child\u2019s teeth start to fit closely together, usually between the ages of two and six, parents should start to get their children in the habit of flossing daily. \u00a0As they develop dexterity, you can help them learn to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n