CHILD oral hygiene habits: Part I
More than a third of parents say their child doesn’t regularly brush teeth twice a day, and many kids don’t follow other dental recommendations like flossing.
More than one in three parents say their child has faced issues like tooth decay, cavities, stained teeth, gum concerns or tooth pain over the past two years, a national poll suggests. And these problems were linked to children’s oral care routine, more commonly experienced among those who skipped dental hygiene recommendations or followed them less often, according to a National Poll on Children’s Health.
Oral hygiene practices often neglected
Sixty-four percent of parents say their child brushes their teeth twice a day and roughly 60% say brushing lasts for at least two minutes. But fewer parents say their child consistently follows other oral health recommendations. For example, only a third of parents report their child regularly brushes the tongue, and less than a quarter floss regularly, which helps remove hard-to-reach food remnants between the teeth. Both the tongue and the crevices between teeth are areas that harbor bacteria that cause tooth decay, gum disease or bad breath. In between brushing, rinsing the mouth with water after consuming sugary foods or beverages can help to prevent the sugar from adhering to the teeth; however, only 15% of parents report their child regularly uses this strategy.
Overall, just one in five parents say their child does at least four of the top six recommended oral health tasks on all or most days — with less consistency reported among boys than girls. Children who followed fewer practices and did them less frequently had more oral health challenges.
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39 Milford Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236. 330-650-0360.