How to Floss the Teeth of a Reluctant Toddler

Dentists now tell us that brushing should start when there are teeth to brush, but flossing also should not be neglected. Around the age of two the teeth start crowding closer together and the toothbrush won't get between them anymore. It may be time to start flossing as part of the brushing teeth regimen to get your child ready for a life of good dental hygeine. There is one small problem with this excellent plan however; your child may be less than thrilled at the prospect.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A package of flossers. Luckily they make some in cool designs and colors for kids.
• A little boy or girl whose teeth are ready to be flossed.

1. Determine whether your child is ready to have his teeth flossed. During brushing one morning, take a bit of your floss and try to do one or two teeth. If he gets upset, apologize and explain that "Mommy was just trying to figure out something" and it's over now. What you are looking for is tight cracks between the teeth that require a floss to clean. If your floss is in there and not touching a tooth, he's not ready.
2. Once you determine that you're ready to begin flossing, go to the grocery or drug store with your child in tow. The kind of floss you want is labelled "flossers" and comes in a package of anywhere from 30-100. Each flosser has a handle with a single string of floss on it. If they have a variety, let your boy or girl choose. Sometimes the handles will glow in the dark or be in the shape of a fun character.
3. At home when brushing teeth, make a big deal over the new floss. Until your toddler gets used to it, it is better to tackle brushing first then flossing in your morning routine because your little one is already used to the brushing process.
4. Have your child pick the floss out of the bag each day. There will usually be a variety of colors/shapes and this will go a lot better if your toddler makes decisions. At least then you can say things like, "But you chose the pink one, it's the special one you wanted!" if things go awry.
5. Cradle your child's head against you and have them tilt back, mouth open. If you are standing on his or her right, it might be easiest to start with the bottom left tooth. You want to be level with the mouth. I usually have my kids stand on a stool in front of the sink while I kneel beside them.
6. Very, very, gently use a back and forth sawing motion on the gap between their teeth, pressing down until you have gone all the way. Make sure you talk to your toddler all during the process. You can talk about tickling the teeth, counting them, or sing a silly song to get his mind off of what you are doing.
7. Move your floss down on the gum line of the teeth on either side of the gap you are flossing. Again, try not to press hard and if there is ANY protest, stop and don't try the gum line step on the rest of the teeth today. This is all going to be strange and the gum line part you can build up to gradually if you need to after your child is used to the flossing itself.
8. Using again the sawing, back and forth motion, come back out through the crack.
9. Repeat for all the teeth.
10. If your child has done reasonably well, make sure you praise her and say things like "Wow, you're such a big boy/girl getting your teeth flossed! That was fun!" If there were tears at the end, omit the "fun" part, but stress how important it is to do and how it will be easier tomorrow.

Tips & Warnings

• For screams and tantrums, you may want to consider the use of the "mat" technique described in How to Brush the Teeth of a Reluctant Toddler. Each day, offer the choice of standing on the stool like a big boy/girl, or the mat. Be sad when you offer the mat, it should be very clear that is not a punishment, but flossing is something that HAS to happen and it will be done with or without cooperation. I only had to do this a few times before my kids always chose the stool, the mat only comes back very rarely on a bad morning.
• When you first start flossing there may be genuine discomfort and even some gum bleeding. Be as gentle as you can and be aware that this will pass in a day or two of flossing once a day. It's the gum's natural reaction to the floss; then it toughens and will be fine. If the discomfort persists, go with a grown-up flosser. These are not as much fun, but tend to have a finer, more waxed dental floss. There are even specialty ones for "tight" teeth, or that advertise a "a smooth glide".
• If you find flossers that your child is excited about, stock up. We found Disney Princess flossers once, and never again. My little girl asks wistfully every time we buy floss. We always look, and I always have to regretfully tell her no. My advice is if you find a winner like that, it won't always be there next time (even a no-brainer like Princess floss!). The stores change their floss selection all the time.
• Do not reuse floss. Each of this type is for one use, and you run the risk of the floss catching or splitting if you try for more. Flossing is hard enough with a toddler without added complications.