Healthy smiles = happy kids! A parent loves nothing more than seeing their child’s beaming, bright smile – and one way to guarantee more smiles for longer is by instilling healthy dental habits in them at a young age.

Oral care is important for children to learn when they’re young. It sets them up with great dental habits, leads to more self-confidence, ensures better oral health in adulthood and can mean fewer dental bills for parents, too.

Here, Melbourne’s best family dental clinic, Victorian Dental Group, outlines essential oral care tips for kids:

Tooth brushing

It’s important for kids to brush their teeth twice a day, but there’s more to tooth-brushing than just ensuring it happens morning and night. The amount of time spent brushing and the accuracy and detail of each brush is equally important.

A fun way to make sure your child is brushing for long enough is to play a song that lasts 2 minutes while they brush. To make sure they’re brushing accurately, show your child how to circularly and gently brush below the gum on all three sides of the tooth (front, bottom and behind).

Healthy diet

Brushing is one thing but, without a healthy diet, your child could still be vulnerable to common dental problems such as cavities. Sugary drinks such as juice, cordial and soft drinks should be reserved for special occasions, replacing them with healthy snacks and drinks such as cheese, vegetable sticks, milk, fruit and low-sugar yogurt.

Start the habit of flossing early

According to studies by the Australian Dental Association (ADA), three quarters of Australians never floss their teeth. This is alarming, as failing to floss leads to an increased risk of cavities, plaque build-up, bad breath and gum disease, among others.

We encourage starting the habit of flossing early in your children so that it becomes part of the regular dental care routine. While this may be easier said than done, flossing is an essential part of dental care and usually it helps to lead by example and floss regularly as a parent.

Bristles and toothbrush replacement

We recommend using extra soft bristles, not just for kids, but for all adults too. Soft bristles are gentle on the gums, lowering the risk of gum damage when brushing. Aim to replace your child’s toothbrush or toothbrush head every 3 months.

Cleaning the tongue

Don’t forget to clean the tongue after brushing. Tongues hold bacteria which can lead to bad breath – something everyone, including kids, want to avoid!

Choosing the right family dentist

And finally, it’s important to choose an excellent family dental clinic like Victorian Dental Group. We’re Melbourne’s leading team in all types of dentistry and are the clinic of choice for many Melbourne families. Having a strong focus on high quality dental care, gentle and nurturing methods, and education, your child will enjoy healthier smiles after a visit to our clinic. Make an appointment and head into our Malvern clinic today.