Should You Be Flossing Your Child’s Baby Teeth?

If you’re brushing your child’s teeth twice a day, that’s a great start, but if you want to ensure optimal oral health, you should add daily flossing to your routine. Flossing removes the bacteria and plaque left behind by foods and beverages. If you don’t floss, these substances cling to the surfaces between teeth where they start to erode tooth enamel and cause inflammation. If you teach your child how to floss teeth from an early age, you’ll probably spend less money on dental care throughout his or her childhood.

The Importance of Baby Teeth

 – Although baby teeth are only around for the first few years of life, it’s important to take care of them properly. Besides being a functional set of teeth, your child’s primary teeth contribute to proper jaw formation by serving as placeholders for permanent teeth. If baby teeth are lost too early, adult teeth may not have enough space to emerge. Improper care of baby teeth could result in oral infections that cause pain or bleeding. In severe cases, infections that start in the mouth could affect the entire body.

How to Develop a Flossing Routine – 

As a general rule, when two baby teeth touch each other, it’s time to add flossing to the program. Until your child is about nine years old, you’ll need to help with flossing, since little hands lack the coordination to floss effectively on their own. By nine years of age, most kids can handle flossing without help. Plastic flossers may be easier for children to use when they are first learning how to floss teeth properly. Because it is toxic if accidentally swallowed, don’t add mouthwash to the oral care routine until your child is at least six years old.

Be sure to schedule regular dental appointments with an affordable dentist in Owings Mills, so any developing oral health problems can be addressed early.

To learn about our family dentistry practice in Owings Mills, call Valley Dental Associates today at (443) 898-1240 or make an appointment.