As Missouri City dentists, we treat patients of all ages and are committed to keeping your family in the best possible oral health. We suggest that you visit our dental office for teeth cleaning twice a year in order to do so. This will allow us to remove the plaque and bacteria from your teeth that could, in the future, cause cavities or gum disease. We can also treat any immediate health concerns that we see. Still, we need you (our patients) to properly brush and floss at home so that your teeth can remain healthy in between visits to our office.

Oral health problems are more common than you think….

The majority of adults will suffer from some sort of gum disease during their lifetime. If you are lucky, this will only manifest as red or swollen gums. Others, however, experience gum recession, bone, and tooth loss as the result of severe gum disease. While common, this is entirely preventable with good oral hygiene that starts as early as possible. If you have kids, it is important that you teach them how to brush and floss correctly from the time they get their first teeth in. Cavities are so common amongst children that they are listed as the largest infectious disease in this age group by the CDC. With that in mind, you cannot take their oral health for granted.

As a Missouri City dentist, we know that getting your kids to brush their teeth is harder than it seems. In fact, most kids and teens are so busy with school, sports, and their friends – that all matters of hygiene are far from their minds. Additionally, it is easy to view things like brushing teeth as a chore, making it even less enjoyable. In our dental office, we are working to change that perception and encourage you to work with us to do the same. Fortunately, there are many options available for making teeth brushing a lot more fun. Here's what we suggest:

• Use music. Most kids love music. It can change their entire mood, and yours, in an instant. If they don’t like to brush and floss, find out what their favorite song is and play it while they do. Play it for the full two minutes so that they get used to brushing for the correct amount of time. You can even make a game of this and have a different person in the family pick the song every day. Pretty soon they will be dancing and brushing instead of avoiding it.
• Watch cartoons. The American Dental Association is using cartoons as a way to get kids to brush their teeth for two minutes. They have a section on their website with popular cartoons like Adventure Time. Each show is two minutes long so that when it is over, your kids know it is time to stop brushing. Since most kids like cartoons, this is an easy way to make bedtime more fun while also getting them to brush.
• Try rewards. If your kids are fascinated by video games, smartphones, or cartoons on Netflix, use it to create a reward system. If they brush without being told, let them have an extra fifteen minutes of electronics time.

In our Missouri City dentist office, we want you and your family to stay in excellent oral health. Use media to encourage your kids to brush their teeth so that they can be at a reduced risk for getting cavities.