Taking care of your child's oral health now can lead them to a life of healthy teeth and gums. By helping them to develop healthy habits, you're increasing the chances that they will continue to take care of their oral health throughout their lives. If you're looking for extra ways to boost your child's oral health, give these three tips a try.

More Water

Water is good for everyone, and it isn't just about hydration. Drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day will help to keep plaque and bacteria at bay in your child's mouth.

While rinsing with water isn't enough to maintain one's oral hygiene alone, regularly sipping water will help to flush away bacteria and food debris before it can form plaque. If your child doesn't drink water often, encourage them to do so more often.

Water Flosser

Water flossers are helpful for keeping cavities and gum disease at bay for everyone, but they've also been found to be useful for kids. Although they really should, getting the average child to floss their teeth is nearly impossible. Thankfully, water flossers provide almost all the same benefits of standard flossing but are much easier and quicker to use. There are also models made exclusively for children that are designed for smaller hands and mouths. Introduce your child to water flossing and rest easy knowing that they will have less plaque and bacteria in their mouth than a child who doesn't use a water flosser.

As an added benefit, if your child ever needs braces, water flossers are extremely good tools to have on-hand. Since thoroughly cleaning the teeth and gums can even be tricky for adults with braces, it's important to provide your child every tool you can to make sure that they're keeping their teeth as healthy as possible.

Dental Sealant

Lastly, consider talking to your pediatric dentist about dental sealant. This procedure is painless and quick to perform, but the benefits are anything but minimal. Dental sealant helps to protect teeth from developing cavities by providing an extra layer of protection between the tooth and the outside environment. It can also help to keep food from getting stuck in the nooks and crannies of your child's teeth.

Whether your child is very young or nearing adulthood, there's still time to boost their oral health and set good habits for life. If you want your child to have the best oral health possible, work with your child's dentist to ensure that they're getting exams, cleanings, and any necessary treatments as often as they should.