Teaching your Kids to Floss

At Playtime Dental, we know that flossing is just as important for your child as it is for you, as it promotes healthy dental hygiene and prevents cavities and gum disease. Teaching your children how to floss will help them learn the importance of this habit as well as enjoy it. Here are a few steps to consider when teaching your little one how to floss.

1. Floss Length

Each time your child flosses, he or she should break off roughly 18 inches. A good trick to help you remember this is to make the floss the same length as the distance between your elbow and your fingertip. Once you have the floss in hand, you can either floss for your child, or if the child is old enough, you can teach him or her.

2. How to Hold Floss

Holding floss can be tricky at times, so it is important for your child to know the proper method. A best practice for this is to wind a good majority of the floss around one of the middle fingers. Then, the rest of the floss can go around the other middle finger on the opposite hand. After that, your child can firmly grasp the floss between his or her thumbs and first fingers to better control it and adapt it to the curves of the teeth.

3. Flossing Thoroughly

There are several steps involved when it comes to the actual flossing process. First, have your child gently guide the floss in between his or her teeth. After that, the child will need to make the floss into a C shape so that it can easily go into the spot between the tooth and the gum. Once the floss is in a good position, the child can hold it tightly against his or her tooth and then lightly rub the side of the tooth with the floss. This should be done in a slight up and down motion away from the gum. After this step is complete, the child can simply repeat the process until all of his or her gums are clean. It’s that simple!