As a mom, you take the wins when you can get them because on some days, well, basic stuff like brushing teeth before bed seems like a miracle. This was once the case in my household, but I say a prayer of thanks when the house is quieting for the evening and I hear my teenage son go into the bathroom to brush his pearly whites. It wasn’t always so easy getting him to brush his teeth. I doubt I’m alone when it comes to being concerned with dental health in children.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children with cavities are more likely to miss school, get lower grades, and have problems with eating, speaking, and playing. Cavities, also called tooth decay or dental caries, are a prevalent and often untreated medical condition.
The great news is there is a lot you can do to not just prevent those cavities but also make brushing a habit for even the most forgetful of teens — and kids of all ages.
Start good dental habits early
Good dental habits for a lifetime
Healthy habits for older kids, teens — and beyond
From age eight on, you will likely start to take a back seat to help them brush. Your child’s hands now have the strength and dexterity to manage the job. They should be using fluoridated toothpaste by this age as well. It’s at this transition that you must make sure that good habits continue with a regular routine of brushing, double-checking how they did, and soliciting the help of your dentist if they still have issues with proper brushing or flossing techniques.
It’s amazing what weight a request from a well-respected pediatric dentist can do in the mind of a child. For all our early work, my son had his first cavity when he was in the first grade. Lucky for him, he was a late teether and it was still a baby tooth.
But our dentist did a great job to remind him what he needed to do every single day, even into his teen years. By taking the time to work with him, it made my life just a little easier and avoided some extra tears. (So did the idea of never having to hear another drill.)
