Kids and the Dentist

[Anonymous]

Do my kids just have the worse dental hygiene in the world or do I have a super aggressive hygienist? Every visit I get brought back for her to point out all of his inadequacies brushing/flossing. I’m not going to brush my 11 year old’s teeth for him. I find it had to believe most kids are regularly flossing. Heck, most adults aren’t. Does it get better if you leave pediatric dentistry and go to general?

[Anonymous]

Kids do floss. They need to. Get them the individual flossers. Very easy for them to use. My 9 year old has been flossing no problem for a couple years.

[Anonymous]

And adults also floss. Gross if you don’t.

[Anonymous]

We have a great pediatric dentist. Heather Sholander at Harmony. She will provide feedback about how to improve brushing and flossing because that’s a dentist’s job. But she isn’t judgmental and is great with my teens. My kids have really good oral hygiene now but they weren’t always the best brushers and flossers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And adults also floss. Gross if you don’t.

This. I floss twice a day and my kids use flosser sticks once a day. You need to establish good oral hygiene habits when they are young. You don't need to brush his teeth, but you may want to provide a timer and supervise while he flosses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do my kids just have the worse dental hygiene in the world or do I have a super aggressive hygienist? Every visit I get brought back for her to point out all of his inadequacies brushing/flossing. I’m not going to brush my 11 year old’s teeth for him. I find it had to believe most kids are regularly flossing. Heck, most adults aren’t. Does it get better if you leave pediatric dentistry and go to general?

Kids do floss. Mine always has, esp. after having to have some dental work done at a young age. We had lots of conversations about how she can avoid the shots, etc. by taking care of her teeth.

I will also say, however, you have to find the right dentist. They vary wildly. We recently had her dentist of many years (pediatric) give us a list of things needing to be fixed. When that happens, I almost always get a second opinion and that has served me well. We did and it was not necessary at this time.

[Anonymous]

I don't know who these kids are (the children of dental hygienists?) who not only floss, but floss daily and floss correctly.

And no, most adults aren't so great about flossing either: However, the majority of adults, about 68%, reported flossing at least once weekly. While the Delta Dental national public opinion poll of 1,003 adults found that 20% of Americans never floss [13], this study found that 32% of adults reported no flossing in the past week (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6434526/#:~:text=However%2C%20the%20majority%20of%20adults,flossing%20in%20the%20past%20week.)

OP, your kids aren't the only ones. I've never used a pediatric dentist, we just go to a regular family dentist and the hygienists have of course gently encouraged regular flossing and better brushing to the kids, but nothing dramatic.

[Anonymous]

Tie the flossing to another activity and build the habit. For example, if they're watching TV after dinner, have them floss while watching. Or they sit at the table after dinner and floss.

These may not be the best examples, but you can get the idea.

[Anonymous]

Your breath must stink. My 12 year old definitely flosses. However, I’d find a new dentist.

[Anonymous]

I guess you either have good dental hygiene and pass it on to your kids or you don't.

I floss every day and so do my kids and it's not hard for them to do it correctly with the individual flossers. It's a non-negotiable. To me it's like saying you don't wash your hair or something. What? You have crusty ass food stuck in your teeth and do nothing about it? [shudder]

[Anonymous]

Kids do floss. Mine uses the individual flossers every night. And yes, kids very often don't brush long enough or thoroughly enough. I'm constantly making our 10yo go back and brush longer. Our kids' dentist said to brush with one hand and then the other (she says she can tell if a kid is right- or left-handed from their teeth). But it's their job to make sure your kid is aware of the importance of good oral hygiene.

[Anonymous]

Um, my kids don't floss (I need to get on it with them) and have never had a cavity and are usually told that they're doing a great job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tie the flossing to another activity and build the habit. For example, if they're watching TV after dinner, have them floss while watching. Or they sit at the table after dinner and floss.

These may not be the best examples, but you can get the idea.

No, flossing is a bathroom activity. Do you clip your toenails in the living room?

[Anonymous]

All my kids floss. They have since about age 4 or 5.

[Anonymous]

Dental hygienists seem to have a very warped idea about how must people live and how hostile to act towards people as a result.

Change dentists and tell them you are paying and found them rude.