Cleaning your child’s teeth is an important step to keep the teeth and gums healthy and to prevent cavities. Brushing and flossing remove plaque, the sticky coating that forms on teeth and contains bacteria. Teeth should be brushed for two minutes twice a day: morning and night. Teeth should be flossed once a day.

Brushing

It’s important that an adult brush a child’s teeth until he or she has the skills to do it properly themselves. When teaching your child how to brush, you may wish to help hold the brush and/or take turns brushing. You should continue to help and supervise your children when they are brushing until around age ten or eleven. If you are not sure if your child is ready to brush on his or her own, talk to our Cambridge Pediatric Dental Associates’ dentists and dental hygienists.

Flossing

Flossing once a day removes food and plaque from between the teeth, where toothbrush bristles cannot reach. Flossing is recommended once your child has two teeth that are touching or are tight together. It’s important that an adult floss a child’s teeth until he or she has the skills to do it properly themselves. You can use floss or a floss aid when flossing your child’s teeth. When teaching your child how to floss, you may wish to help guide the floss or floss aid between the teeth and/or take turns flossing. You should continue to help and supervise your children when they are flossing until around age ten or eleven. If you are not sure if your child is ready to floss on his or her own, talk to our CPDA dentists and dental hygienists.

At each visit, your dentist and dental hygienist will review brushing and flossing with you and your child. They will demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques and will have both you and your child practice together. The entire CPDA team will encourage and stress good home care habits tailored to your child. Cambridge Pediatric Dental Associates make brushing and flossing fun; creating healthy smiles for a lifetime.

We invite you to contact Cambridge Pediatric Dental Associates if you have any questions about home care or to schedule an oral health consultation with one of our skilled dentists.