Brushing your child’s teeth is important, and twice daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste helps their smile stay healthy. But flossing is essential, too. Regular flossing allows you to further reduce your child’s risk of oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease.

Not sure how to floss baby teeth? It’s easier than you may think! In this blog from 24/7 Local Dentist, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the process and give you step-by-step instructions on what to do. 

When your child only has a few teeth, you don’t really need to floss. Brushing alone will keep their teeth clean. But once your child’s teeth start to fit closely together, it’s best to start flossing.

This usually happens around the age of 2-3, when kids get all of their baby teeth. Kids usually have pretty big spaces between their front teeth, but flossing teeth that are touching is still a good idea, particularly for the rear teeth, which tend to have fewer gaps.

First, brush your child’s teeth and then get them comfortable. You may find it easier to floss their mouth if they lay their head in your lap. Beyond this, flossing your child’s teeth is pretty similar to flossing adult teeth. Here’s a quick overview of the process.

Learning how to floss is tough for most adults! So, naturally, it’s harder for kids to learn, too. Most kids can start brushing on their own at about the age of 7-8, but they usually can’t floss on their own until they’re about 8-10 years old. Flossing requires significantly more manual dexterity.

Dentists consider floss picks to be less effective than string floss, but they’re still much better than not flossing at all, so they’re a great option if you’d like your child to floss on their own, but they’re not quite capable of using string floss. We still recommend switching to string floss once your child can learn how to use it properly, though. 

Keep Your Child’s Mouth Healthy With Routine Visits To 24/7 Local Dentist

For your child's dental health in Muscatine, good at-home oral care is crucial, but so are six-month checks. When it comes to protecting your child's teeth and gums for years to come, 24/7 Local Dentists can help, whether you're new to the neighbourhood, searching for a new dentist, or simply need to schedule your child's next appointment. To begin, connect with us online or call (833) 220-2448.