Rudy Says…”Wash your hands and brush your teeth!”
The spread of the Coronavirus / COVID-19 has everyone in the entire world talking about how to properly wash your hands which of course is extremely important, but Rudy, as well as every pediatric dentist in Indianapolis, want to make sure all of their friends remember to brush their teeth. Now that we are all at home, there is plenty of time to master the proper brushing technique, and have it perfected when life returns to normal.
Rudy and every children’s dentist’s in Indianapolis and Lafayette suggest these five easy steps to practice with your child:
1. Place a small amount of fluoride toothpaste onto a soft-bristle brush. Children younger than three years of age should use a smear of toothpaste (roughly the size of grain of rice). Kids three years and older can add a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to their brush.
2. Angle the brush at a forty five degree angle toward the gums of the upper and lower teeth. Parents should assist their child to make sure there are using the correct angle.
3. Move the brush in small, gentle circles to clean the front, back, top, and sides of the teeth. Work with your child on spending about thirty seconds in each quarter of the mouth which is about two minutes total.
4. Pay special attention to brushing the gums. Caring for your gums or pink tissue around your teeth can prevent gum disease. This is also a great time to brush the tongue, which can carry many germs.
5. When brushing is complete, encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste, and teach them to floss! Helping your children understand and get into the habit of flossing at an early age will only help them maintain tooth and gum health throughout their lifetime.
Rudy and every kids dentist in Indianapolis and Lafayette agree that helping your child get in the habit of brushing two times a day for two minutes is no easy task, but making it easy and fun for them will go a long way!
