As a parent, you want your children to learn healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Teaching your kids to floss is an important part of helping them develop positive dental care habits. Learn when children should begin flossing and how you can teach them to do it effectively in the following guide.

When to Introduce Your Child to Flossing

As soon as children are old enough that two of their baby teeth are touching, it’s time to introduce them to flossing. This generally occurs when the last molars erupt, somewhere between two and six years of age.

Children this young don’t have the manual coordination needed to perform their own dental care yet, so you’ll need to floss their teeth for them. Once children have enough dexterity to write in cursive, around age seven or eight, they can start flossing on their own.

Tips for Teaching Your Child to Floss

Flossing may be tricky for your child at first, so to keep them from getting frustrated and giving up, ask your pediatric dentist to recommend a kid-friendly brand of floss picks. As they get used to handling their own dental care, they can begin to use smooth dental floss.

Teach them to use proper form when flossing, wrapping the string around both index or middle fingers and keeping the hands a few inches apart. Show them how to slide the floss between the teeth and curve it in a “C” shape to scrape along the surface. Teach your children how to reposition the floss to move on to a clean section, and remind them to use a gentle up-and-down motion rather than snapping the floss and risking gum injury. 

In addition to flossing, introduce your child to habitual dental care at the office of Pedodontic Associates. With locations on Oahu and Maui, they have over 25 years of experience providing gentle, quality dental care for kids. Schedule an appointment with a children’s dentist by calling their Kahala office at (808) 735-1733, Pearlridge at (808) 487-7933, or Kahului at (808) 877-0066. Visit their website to learn more about their pediatric dentistry services.