“What is the best way to remove stuck food particles in children's teeth?”
My daughter is 4 years old, and fights me when I try to brush her teeth, making it very hard to get them clean. Is there another way to remove stuck food particles from a child's teeth?
14 Answers
You should get assistance from your spouse or love one when brushing your child’s teeth. You should sit knee to knee. One person holds while the other brushes
Old fashioned floss or floss picks
Hi, that's a great question and one I know many parents can relate to! If there is food stuck between the teeth I would purchase kids flossers as it is easier to handle and makes flossing much easier for the parent and child. If she's resisting brushing there are many brushing apps geared towards kids to make brushing much more fun! I hope this helps. Thank you!
Hello,
Great question! The short answer is no there is no other way, brushing and flossing is the best way. It is very typical of kids that age to be fussy and be combative. My recommendation is to be creative with this task. There are several books and cartoons that talk about teeth and brushing which for kids brain is helpful in emulating. Trying making it a game, tell a story, reward them for allowing it. If these don't work, then you may try sitting down on the floor and have them between your legs gently holding them and brush their teeth. The key is to be persistent every night after a while they will cooperate.
Best of luck.
Dr. Abdoll
Great question! The short answer is no there is no other way, brushing and flossing is the best way. It is very typical of kids that age to be fussy and be combative. My recommendation is to be creative with this task. There are several books and cartoons that talk about teeth and brushing which for kids brain is helpful in emulating. Trying making it a game, tell a story, reward them for allowing it. If these don't work, then you may try sitting down on the floor and have them between your legs gently holding them and brush their teeth. The key is to be persistent every night after a while they will cooperate.
Best of luck.
Dr. Abdoll
The best recommendation will be brushing right after any meals or snacks. If the patient present close and tight contact between her primary teeth you will need a floss to remove any food particle left. If your daughter is giving you a hard time for oral hygiene you should follow any directions of your child's dentist or primary care provider.
Unfortunately flossing is the only real way of removing debris and particles from in between teeth.
Proper brushing is still the best way to remove these particles. Please be persistent in brushing even though she resists. You are preventing more problems than you might think by not giving in. If she is quite difficult, you can lay her back on the bed, etc, have someone else hold her while you get in and brush. She will soon discover that brushing is done routinely and her behavior will improve in time.
Brushing is always the best way. Try different approaches and making it part of morning and bed time routine. Timers or music while brushing sometimes makes it more enjoyable.
Flossing is a good tool to use to remove food particles. The single tooth flossers can work magic!
Brushing and flossing are definitely the best way to remove food, and most importantly plaque (bacterial buildup) from the surfaces and between the teeth. MOST 4 year olds put up a fight with brushing etc - it is part of growing up for them to want to test boundaries to see what they can "get away with." I encourage all my families to fight the battle of brushing. Toddlers can be very "stubborn," but if they know that no matter what they do or how much they fight that you are going to do it, they will stop fighting fairly quickly. If they know they can get away with it, they'll keep trying :) Ask your child's dentist for tips on different positions and ways you can hold your daughter that can help you manage her while you are brushing.
Flossing is the best way to get food stuck between the teeth.
Congratulations on having a strong, assertive young toddler! Just like with other aspects of parenting to this point, you had to be gentle and consistent with your position. The same applies to oral hygiene. The best way to clean teeth of any age is with the brush and floss. May I suggest that she be allowed to brush her teeth in the morning but the adult n charge at bedtime be the one to floss first then brush her teeth before lights out. In this way she can stretch her independence muscles and you still have a strong sence of how well she's accomplishing her task.
The best way is to floss! Unfortunately although it may be difficult at times for younger patients it really is the best. Try and distract your child for the short time. Worked for my kids and many of my patients as well! Good luck!
Mark M. Dawoud
Dentist (Pediatric)
It sounds like this might be more of a question of how to make brushing more something she looks forward too, rather than a chore.
Try these 4 steps:
1) Brush in front of her. Your one of her biggest examples and a lot of what kids learn are from their parents at this age.
2) Make it a fun nightly (and maybe even morning) family event. You can look into fun toothbrushes online that she may get a kick out of.
3) It might be the type of toothpaste. Make sure your using a kids brand as those are less abrasive than adult brands. Also look into different flavors, try it out if she does not like a flavor move to another one.
4) Make sure to reward positive steps in the right direction and ignore the negative ones. Positive reinforcement can be as simple as saying “great job brushing your teeth!” Believe me it goes a long way. My job is to get children to cooperate and enjoy their dentist appointments. Positive reinforcement is one of the greatest tools.
Try these 4 steps:
1) Brush in front of her. Your one of her biggest examples and a lot of what kids learn are from their parents at this age.
2) Make it a fun nightly (and maybe even morning) family event. You can look into fun toothbrushes online that she may get a kick out of.
3) It might be the type of toothpaste. Make sure your using a kids brand as those are less abrasive than adult brands. Also look into different flavors, try it out if she does not like a flavor move to another one.
4) Make sure to reward positive steps in the right direction and ignore the negative ones. Positive reinforcement can be as simple as saying “great job brushing your teeth!” Believe me it goes a long way. My job is to get children to cooperate and enjoy their dentist appointments. Positive reinforcement is one of the greatest tools.
