Best Oral Hygiene Practices for Children and Families

Children should see a dentist by their first birthday, or within six months of their first tooth coming in. Early visits are mostly about building comfort with the experience, not treatment.

At home, the routine matters more than perfection: brushing twice a day with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, supervised until kids can reliably spit rather than swallow (usually around age 6-7).

Flossing should start as soon as two teeth touch. It feels unnecessary early on, but it builds the habit before cavities between teeth become a real risk in the school-age years.

Perhaps the biggest factor: how parents talk about dental visits. Kids pick up on anxiety fast. Keeping checkups low-key and routine — not a big event — goes a long way toward a lifetime of stress-free visits.