Flossing is an important part of any good oral health routine, and one that is often missed. Building positive oral health habits with your children at a young age will help them throughout their life.
A: Typically, between the ages of 2 and 6, your child's primary teeth will come in closer together. Once the teeth are close together or touching, you should start flossing them. This will not only help keep their teeth healthy, but also get them used to flossing from a young age.
Q: How should you floss their teeth?
A: Take 18 inches of floss and wrap it around each middle finger—leave an inch of floss between. Then slide the floss between your child’s teeth. Carefully move it up and down the sides of each tooth and keep moving to new sections of floss as you switch teeth.
Flossing can be tricky for kids, so it’s important to help them as they learn to do it on their own. As a general rule, once your child can tie their shoes on their own, it’s usually a good time to have them learn to floss on their own as well.
Flossing is key to strong oral health, so make sure you help your kids form healthy habits early in their lives!
Published: September 5, 2019
Revised: February 1, 2022
This information in this post is for general educational purposes only and does not warrant or represent any information as related to health as specifically appropriate for you. It is not intended to be medical advice or replace the relationship that you have with your health care providers. You should always seek medical advice on any diagnosis or treatment from a qualified health care provider. The information is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.
