Just as with anything in life, if one can develop healthy habits when one is young, the process of maintaining the habit is easier.
Good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing and flossing regularly, are best established when an individual is young.
As a child, the establishing of the dental routine, including the act of brushing and flossing, must be facilitated and performed by the parent.
A couple of good tips for parents are to make sure that one is positive about the importance of dental care and oral hygiene.
A child quickly will become aware of negative biases if a parent is not cautious about what he says and does.
It is helpful to choose dental products that are pleasant tasting for small children.
Young children may not care for toothpaste with baking soda or strong cinnamon flavors.
With so many options for products, it should be easy to find dental supplies that children will not have an aversion to using.
As a child matures, personal hygiene often becomes a secondary interest; however, it is during this time that one's diligence at maintaining the habit of brushing and flossing will provide measurable rewards.
An increase in decay is often noticed in the pre-teen and early teenage years.
As kids have more access to sugary foods during the school day, the necessity of brushing morning and night along with daily flossing becomes even more imperative.
It is important at this stage to rely heavily on preventative action and care.
Regular dental checkups by one's dentist are important to help facilitate the good oral care that has been established at home.
The early detection of potential problems is helpful in deterring any dental problems that may begin to manifest themselves.
In addition, over-the- counter fluoride rinses may be suggested to help increase the resistance to decay.
Early detection and action helps not only to decrease cost, but helps to make the process of correction easier.
Decay in its early stages is always easier to treat than when caries have grown.
The difficulty in establishing a positive dental hygiene habit is the feeling of adding one more item to one's to-do list.
Many patients find success in creating an oral hygiene habit that is coupled with another routine.
For example, some patients brush and floss their teeth in the shower as part of their regular grooming regime.
This act allows them to perform all of their cleaning rituals in one easy location.
I am an advocate for any method of home dental care that helps to develop consistency.
As one creates a pattern of healthy choices and living, the recognizable benefits will help foster the continuation of the habit.
One's dental health provider should be able to offer suggestions that have been used to help others achieve better oral health.
Utilizing all of one's resources will help one to find a system that will allow him to foster the best possible oral health habits.