Even if you’ve been helping your children with dental care since their first tooth erupted, they may not understand the reasoning behind oral hygiene. While you already know habits like brushing and flossing prevent cavities, helping children make this connection can set them up for a lifetime of dental wellness. Here’s how you can approach the topic with your little one. 

How to Help Children Understand Cavities 

1. Explain Cavities in Child-Friendly Terms 

Young children may not understand decay, but they can grasp the concept of holes in their teeth. Explain how food can leave behind germs and get stuck on the teeth. Without getting rid of them, the germs can create holes called cavities over time. 

2. Discuss the Role of Dental Care

Once your children understand how foods leave cavity-causing bacteria behind, explain how brushing and flossing eliminate them. Flossing gets to the hard-to-reach places in between teeth where the germs can “hide,” while brushing removes germs from the tooth’s surface. That’s why it’s important to brush twice a day and floss every night.

3. Demonstrate With Visuals 

Imagining a cavity might be hard for someone who has never seen one. To that end, find a child-friendly diagram of a tooth online. If your child is old enough to understand, explain the layers of the tooth, including the enamel, dentin, and pulp, and how each can be affected by decay.

4. Try Books & Other Activities

For younger children, seeing their favorite characters practice dental care can help them understand its importance. Many children’s book series have a dentist-related title, so visit a local library to look. You can also make dentistry-inspired crafts, such as a tooth on a whiteboard with bacteria that has to be brushed away with an eraser.  

5. Play Out Dental Scenarios 

If your little one loves make-believe play, allow them to take on the role of a dentist. Ask them questions about cavities and dental care. Having your child explain these concepts back to you is a great way to help them sink in. 

Pedodontic Associates will give your children the dental care foundation they need from a young age so they can enjoy a lifetime of dental wellness. This team has provided top-notch dentistry services to kids of all ages for more than 25 years. To schedule an appointment, visit their website or call one of their three office locations on Oahu or Maui: (808) 735-1733 for Honolulu, (808) 487-7933 for Aiea, or (808) 877-0066 for Kahului.