How To Encourage Your Child To Floss

29 January 2015
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Flossing. Though it's important for children to do, it can still be a challenge to encourage them to do it! If you're wondering how to get your child to start flossing, you've come to the right place. Here you will learn how to make flossing a part of your child's daily routine.

Ease Them Into It

Part of the problem with getting a child to floss is that they may not know how to do it properly. If they're under the age of 10, they may not have the manual dexterity to be able to do it on their own yet. For this reason, you will want to be patient with your child when easing them into flossing on their own. You will first want to floss their teeth yourself to get them used to how it feels. Once your kid is old enough (about 6 or 7 years old), you can then encourage them to start flossing some of their teeth themselves, watching them carefully so you can correct any mistakes. Set a time every day to floss so that it becomes a part of your child's everyday routine.

Make Flossing Fun

Even if your child already knows how to floss properly, they may still not want to do it! To combat this problem, you will want to find ways to make flossing a more enjoyable activity. This may seem like a daunting task, but there is much you can do to make flossing more fun for your child. Below are some ideas:

  • Get creative: If your kid finds flossing boring, you may want to change the floss you use on their teeth. For example, you may try bubblegum or fruit-flavored floss to make flossing more fun for them. Another idea is to get them a floss holder. Many come in animal shapes, which should make flossing a more enjoyable experience for your child. It should also be easier for them to floss with a floss holder than with traditional floss.
  • Create a fun flossing routine: To ensure your child doesn't find flossing to be a chore, you can try to spice up flossing time. One way to do this is by playing a 2- to 3-minute song while flossing. Ask your child what song they would like to play, and then have them floss their teeth until the song ends. You can also try flossing your own teeth at the same time as they do to make it a group activity.

Though it can be difficult to get a child to floss, these ideas should help get you on the right track. Ask a children's dentist, such as http://www.vfdental.com, for more child flossing tips.