As a parent, it’s your responsibility to ensure your children get the best health and dental care they possibly can. This includes regular trips to the dentist for dental cleanings, as well as encouraging healthy brushing and flossing habits on your own.

However, a surprising number of parents aren’t taking the necessary steps to preserve their children’s dental hygiene. Are you? Find out with this list of three essential dental health tips for every parent:

Don’t forget to brush children’s baby teeth

Ask any pediatric dentist, and he or she will likely tell you the same thing: you should be helping your child brush his or her teeth as soon as that first baby tooth appears. However, 63% of parents fail to do so. Your child’s earliest teeth should be brushed twice daily with a soft, child-sized toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. This will help make dental cleanings easier and keep your children’s teeth healthy early on.

Keep kids’ sippy cups filled with water at bedtime

A mistake many parents make is sending their children to bed with a sippy cup filled with juice or milk. In fact, 46% of parents with children under the age of 3 will do just that at least once a week or more. Both fruit juice and milk contain significant amounts of sugar that can lead to tooth decay if left on a child’s teeth overnight. As a result, it’s best to fill that sippy cup with water before bedtime.

Teach good flossing habits early on

Did you know that children should start flossing as soon as they have two teeth that touch? As soon as this happens, it’s a good idea to encourage your child to floss once a day. Your local dentist for kids can help teach you how to encourage flossing during your child’s next appointment. Positive reinforcement is always a great way to do so!

Not sure where to find the best family friendly dentist near you for your child’s dental cleanings? Ask us anything by leaving a comment below. Find out more here.