Caring for your children's teeth can seem like a very difficult job. Just like adults' teeth, your children's teeth can easily become compromised and your children may need a good deal of dental work, even on those teeth that aren't permanent. This is why it is important that parents know how to care for children's teeth to protect them. Here are a couple things you should know:

1. Start Flossing Early

Many people know how important it is to brush their child's teeth. This is a given from the time the child gets their first tooth. However, many people fail to recognize just how important it is that the child has their teeth flossed. While the child is a baby or toddler, flossing may not be needed. This is because they probably don't have molars or teeth that are touching. But as soon as their molars come in, these teeth need to be flossed. Many times the child will get cavities in the back of their mouth by their molars. You can protect the child from these cavities by flossing the teeth often.

2. Brush Your Child's Teeth Until They Are 6-7

Although your toddler may want to brush their own teeth, you should be doing the brushing until they are about 6-7 years old. This doesn't mean that the child can't brush their own teeth; you can let them practice brushing either before or after you do it for them, but you shouldn't let them do it completely on their own.

Children don't develop the motor skills or the understanding to really brush their own teeth correctly until they are older. You need to make sure that they are scrubbing the teeth, the gums and the back molars well. In addition, you should be supervising older children while they brush. Just because they are old enough doesn't mean that they will do it well.

3. Have Sealant Put On

When you go to the dentist, make sure you ask the dentist for sealant. They won't put this on every appointment; they will put it on only a couple times during the child's lifetime. This sealant is very important to protecting the child's teeth. It adds an extra layer of protection so that the teeth are less soft, less cavity prone, and less breakable. Talk to your dentist about when your child get teeth sealant.

By doing these things you can protect your child's teeth. For more information, contact a specialist like Discovery Dental.