“Can I use dental floss for my 4 year old?”
My son is 4 years old. Can I start using dental floss on his teeth as part of his toothbrushing routine?
21 Answers
Please start using dental floss as soon as the teeth have no space between them. Good habits are great to start early. 4 is great. What a great parent!
It is a great time to start flossing your little ones’ teeth for them. Sometimes teeth will grow in and be touching each other from the start, other times they start to shift together over time (particularly on back teeth) and need the extra help of flossing to keep those tight areas clean. Keep in mind that this may take time for your child to get used to as it feels different and makes a little noise when you push it through those parts of the teeth contacting each other. It may be nice to make that noise a “fun” part by making your own silly noise when you floss and keep in mind that this, too, will become easier with time.
Yes, please do. ADA recommends to floss teeth when teeth begin to touch regardless of age. On the younger ones, I recommend to use floss picks. It makes it easier on everyone.
Thx,
Dr. Abdoll
Thx,
Dr. Abdoll
Flossing should start when your child has 2 teeth that touch (closed tight contacts). This is often around ages 2 to 3. Always floss under the direction of your child's dentist or primary care provider and you should supervise your child during oral hygiene routines. Before this age, flossing is not needed unless indicated by a specialist.
That’d be amazing! Flossing does not have an age and should be started as soon as you see two teeth in contact with one another. Teach them early and they will never forget when they’re adults!
Yes. The floss pics are great for ease of use and teaching children how to floss. If there are spaces between the teeth, flossing is not an issue.
Yes. You can and should use dental floss on your 4 year old’s teeth. Any tooth that has a tight contact should be flossed once per day. If there is space between some teeth, you do not need to floss between those. Four year old children get decay between teeth just as much as older kids. Flossing tight contacts is very important in preventing decay between teeth.
Dr. Randall Wing
Dr. Randall Wing
Short answer is YES :) Longer explanation is that if your 4 year old has teeth that have spaces between them, flossing is more of a habit-building exercise along with brushing, rather than for actual cleaning. (Be sure to check the back teeth to see if they are touching or have space between them). If the teeth DO touch, this means that no matter how much you brush it won't get the food out from between the teeth, flossing really is the only way to get the food from between teeth and keep the developing gums healthy. Try the little floss-sticks, much easier when flossing tiny mouths. So go right ahead & good luck! :)
Yes. Flossing should be done once a day
Yes - absolutely! It is a wonderful age to teach healthy habits and helps prevent decay.
Hello, thank you for your question! It is safe to use dental floss on your four-year-old, however, not all four-year-old children need their teeth to be flossed due to the positioning of the teeth. If any of your child's teeth are close together with no spacing in between them, this is an area that brushing alone will not clean and flossing is recommended in these areas. Some four-year-olds have spacing in between all of their teeth, so if this is the case with your child, you wouldn't need to worry about flossing at this time. I recommend speaking with your pediatric dentist about whether or not your child would benefit from flossing at this age. If you do floss his or her teeth, I suggest using kid's flossers that come with a rounded handle (no sharp edges), as it is easier to handle than regular string floss. Most kids' flossers also come in kid-friendly flavors, since many children are resistant to the traditional minty flavor of floss. Just make sure to wipe off the floss as you go.
Best,
Dr. Roxanna Khajavi
Best,
Dr. Roxanna Khajavi
Absolutely, You need to start flossing your kids as soon as they have all their baby molars which is usually around age of three. The only time, you don't need to floss is when there is gap between the teeth. otherwise you need to floss the teeth which are attached to each other.
Absolutely! Flossing is encouraged.
Yes, flossing is good for everyone.
Thanks,
Dr. Price
Thanks,
Dr. Price
Yes, an easy way to floss a young child is to use floss picks which are compact and fit easily inside of a small child's mouth and make flossing easy and quick
I recommend flossing as soon as possible. Anywhere that the teeth touch an adjacent tooth needs to be flossed.
Absolutely! To make it easier on you, I recommend the single flossers. Just make sure your rubbing it against the both teeth.
Great question!!! Absolutely!! The earlier you start good habits the better they are received!!
Absolutely! As a pediatric dentist, I recommend to my families that they begin flossing as soon as the back baby molars are touching together, which often times is as soon as they come in around 30 months old. Starting your son on a regular flossing routine now can pay dividends for a lifetime!
Yes of course! Just check with your dentist on how to do it correctly.
The sooner good habits are established, the more likely they will be lifetime good habits! If your child is cooperative, then by all means start flossing. It's more important to floss where there are contacts between the teeth; more likely in between molars than the front teeth (front teeth contacts means your child's mouth is small). The easiest thing is to lie the child on a bed or couch on your lap and use a floss on a stick aid. Gently go back and forth to 'break' the contact, then push back and then pull forward and lift. BE GENTLE, it only takes one slip to send your child off to being uncooperative. I usually recommend once or twice a week if the molars are in contact. If your child shows an interest because you are and there are no contacts, then only once a week ;)
