When Should She Floss?

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Bettye Wayne

Saved 2/16/10 to The Mommy Club

When Should She Floss?

My four year old is good at brushing; I give her teeth a quick brush myself if she's had lots of sweets, but mostly she does it on her own. My concern now is flossing. Her mouth is too small for me to stick my fingers in there and really teach her how to do it; I give her a piece of floss to play with and run between her front teeth just to get her used to the idea of flossing.
Any suggestions for how or when I should go about teaching flossing? Am I waiting too long? Also, can anyone recommend a good mouthwash for children? Any advice on children's dental hygiene would be appreciated. Thank you!

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cupcakedreams 3 years 9 weeks

my child loved to floss her teeth.. she wanted to do it 3 times a day at age 5 lol

Bettye Wayne 3 years 9 weeks

Using one of those flosser sticks is a great idea, misssushi! I'm going to ask my ped at my girl's next appointment.

MissSushi 3 years 12 weeks

My ped suggested flossing as soon as they have teeth next to each other. My daughter is two and we are just now doing it because teeth brushing was a pin her down situation that was mandatory to be done well becuase we have a family medical history of porous teeth. Shortly after turning 2, she became much more cooperative and interested in teeth brushing and we are slowly introducing flossing. I use a mini flosser stick, the kind with a pointy end (after you break off the side) and a piece of string between two plastic things. Its the only way i could get it done, MY mouth is too small for me to fit my fingers in properly to floss with string floss, much less her teeny tiny little mouth. It works very well for both of us.

MotoLinz 3 years 13 weeks

My dentist said they should start flossing just whenever the teeth are big enough to require it. My three year old's teeth are still spaced enough that it's not yet necessary, but I imagine it will be time within the year. If you think it's time, just start teaching her now. Give her a length of floss, as you have, and then grab your own and demonstrate on yourself. Or maybe you could use those little floss aids to help you get in there since her mouth is kid-sized. As far as mouthwash, I've noticed Act near the kids' dental hygiene stuff in the grocery store. There is even some that colors leftover plaque so kids can see what they've missed. Good luck!