How Can You Tell if Your Child is Brushing Properly?
Whilst you undoubtedly say "remember to brush your teeth!" to your child every morning and evening, you may feel uncertain about exactly how good of a job they're really doing. Although your close supervision can tell you a great deal about your child's oral hygiene habits, it's important to know exactly what to look for. Here are the best ways to evaluate your child's brushing habits.
Watch the Duration
Whilst you probably tell your child to make sure to brush each tooth, on both the front and back, you may not have ever told them how long to brush. On average, your child should spend an average of two full minutes brushing their teeth -- this means 30 seconds for each quadrant of the mouth. It's quite common for children to spend much less time on brushing than they ought to.
Whilst you don't necessarily have to stand guard over them to monitor the time, it can be helpful to introduce an egg timer to the bathroom. Allow your child to set the timer themselves, and consider a small (non-food) reward when they've been consistent about setting the timer and brushing properly for a week or more. When they're brushed the full two minutes twice a day, you'll know that they're practising good brushing habits.
Use Plaque Finder Tablets
Plaque finder tablets, also called plaque disclosing tabs or "disclotabs," are a simple way to improve your child's brushing -- and many kids find them fun as well! They can be found at your local chemist, ordered online, or provided by your children's dentist.
Plaque finder tablets are quite easy to use. Your child simply chews and then swishes the saliva around in their mouth. When they open their mouth and smile, the coloured patches indicate plaque that was left behind after brushing. Seeing the visual reminder of dangerous plaque can help you to understand more about how well your child is brushing. It can also help motivate your child to practise better brushing habits!
Schedule Regular Visits With Your Children's Dentist
Although your child won't keep their baby teeth forever, it's still important to have healthy teeth at all stages of life. The health of your child's adult teeth depends in part upon how well their baby teeth are cared for now. Regular visits to your children's dentist can help keep their teeth healthy -- and it can also reveal valuable information about how well they're performing oral hygiene tasks whilst you're not directly supervising.
Want to find out for certain whether your child's teeth are healthy? Schedule a visit with your children's dentist today to learn whether your oral healthcare efforts at home have been successful!