Getting kids to floss can be pretty challenging for parents like you, but it is best to start effective oral hygiene while they are still young.
Flossing should be a part of everyone’s oral hygiene, young and old. You should start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as two of his or her milk teeth touch. Ideally, parents should brush and floss their young one’s teeth until they are at least 6 years old. As they develop dexterity, you should teach your child how to floss. Generally, kids age 6 or 7 should be able to brush and floss their teeth with supervision until around the age of 10.
Teach your kids to floss with these seven easy steps from 2min2x.org.
- Break off about 18 inches of floss (the length from a fingertip to your elbow) and use it to floss younger kids’ teeth, or teach older kids how to do it themselves.
- Wind most of the floss around a middle finger. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will wrap up the used floss as it becomes dirty.
- Make sure your child holds the floss tightly between their thumbs and forefingers.
- They should guide the floss between their teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.
- Then they should curve the floss into a C shape as it gets closer to their gum and gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
- They should hold the floss tightly against the tooth, and gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss or flosser away from the gum with up and down motions.
- Repeat this process for each and every tooth.
