Are You Concerned About Your Grandchild's Oral Health? 3 Strategies To Instill Good Oral Health Habits

Posted on: 20 December 2017

The day your grandchild was born, you were excited to be able to pass down the many lessons that you have learned in life. Now that they are getting older, you want to make sure that they take care of their adorable smile. As a grandparent, you can use these strategies to help your grandchild learn the importance of taking care of their teeth.

Read Dental Themed Books Together

Ideally, a child should visit the dental clinic by the time they get their first tooth or celebrate their first birthday. While regular dental visits help kids to develop a good rapport with their dentist, it is common for some anxiety to creep in as a child gains more awareness of the world. Help keep dental fears away by reading books to your grandchild that promote going to the dentist as a positive experience. Be sure to leave room for questions after the story, and change the books you read together occasionally to help keep your grandchild's interest.

Model Proper Oral Hygiene Care

Your grandchild looks up to you, and you better believe that they are learning from everything they see you do. Whether your grandchild stays the night or comes over early in the morning for breakfast, make sure that they see you brush your teeth. In fact, you can even keep your grandchild's favorite toothbrush and toothpaste at your house so that you can brush your teeth together. Additionally, you can talk to your child about your upcoming appointments for dental services. When you do so, try to keep your comments positive such as mentioning how you love your bright, white teeth after a dental cleaning.

Role Play Going to the Dentist

Pediatric dental services follow similar patters as an adults, only the dentist will tailor their approach to fit the understanding of a young child. For example, the dentist might tell a child that they want to count their teeth as they check for cavities. Mimic this type of language as you role play going to the dentist with your grandchild. Take turns opening your mouths wide, or consider having your grandchild role play being the dentist as they check out the mouth of a stuffed animal.

Now that your grandchild is getting older, it's time to help their parents encourage good oral health care. From giving them a toothbrush to keep at your place to making visits to the dentist fun, you can do your part to pass down the importance of preserving that precious smile. For more information, contact a local dentist like Kemper, William E.

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