Children are sometimes lazy when it comes to brushing their teeth. Even if they fully understood the importance of maintaining clean teeth, they do not like brushing. They sometimes bluff and tell you that they have already brushed, even if they really haven’t. Caring for your children’s teeth means encouraging them to brush regularly. You really have to check on them if they have brushed or not. Of course, if your child is a toddler, then you should be the one to brush their teeth for them.

Children are wise and got a handful of tricks to use on you. To counter that, you should also have your own to use on them. Here are few tricks to make them get busted on brushing:

Brushing Teeth Cudahy CA

1. Dry tooth brush. If your child told you that he already brushed his teeth only a few minutes ago, you should expect that his toothbrush is still wet when you check on it. Dry toothbrush means it is unused.
2. Food between the teeth. Actually, it is not only food that you can see between his teeth when he does not brush. You can also see sticky plaque hanging around them. His tongue may also look whitish due to thick deposits of plaque. Remember, bacteria love plaque!
3. Flanked the squeaky test. This is the most effective toothbrush test of all. If you notice, freshly brushed teeth are clear and have no sticky plaque on it. Ask you child to gently rub his wet fingers on his teeth. If it is clean, it will surely produce squeaking sound.
4. Bad breath. If you can smell your child’s bad breath then, BUSTED! He did not brush.  Foul breath is caused by food debris trapped between teeth. Flossing and brushing will remove these and your child will have a fresh mouth.
5. Occurrence of toothache. If your child has developed a toothache, this means that he or she is not brushing at all or not brushing correctly. Toothache is a real sign of bacterial invasion (bacteria attaching tooth structure). If this happens, take him or her to the dentist right away to alleviate the pain. The dentist may advise that your child needs a filling or other intervention that is needed for his teeth.

Good oral hygiene is the best way to keep your child’s teeth healthy. Training your child to brush and floss regularly will become a good habit (daily routine) and will help him avoid plaque and tooth decay. But remember this is not enough, you should also take him regularly for dental exams and dental cleanings. Your dentist will help you take care of your child’s teeth and teach him or her the proper way of brushing and flossing. American dental Association recommends a routine check-up and dental cleaning every 6 months.

If you have any questions or need to set up an appointment, please call us at (323) 771-7254.

By Ladan Zinati