My Boy Turns Six!

August is a great kid. He has developed into a responsible, considerate, and wild comedian with some real independence. He's learning how to read, and recently asked me to read stories to him that don't have any pictures. He checks in with me every couple of minutes about which paragraph and word I am reading so he can keep up.


I'm sure we're like most parents, proud and observant of everything that our kids learn and practice. But as a dentist, I though a few observations about August's pediatric development and oral hygiene would be valuable to you.

Gus has really evolved his dental hygiene. My wife and I used to take charge of brushing and cleaning between his teeth twice a day, even when he battled us. That routine didn't stop until about 6 months ago. We had always allowed him to play with a toothbrush in the bathtub, and invited him to brush his own teeth. The concept of a dental home and habits are important to instill as early as possible. Being comfortable with a care provider usually starts with parent advocacy in the family home. Early introduction of pictures, concepts, and behaviors that occur for general medical and dental visits are easy to instill. A book, or playing doctor or dentist with your children matter. Props, costumes, toys, and even a toothbrush or stethoscope are all important ingredients in familiarizing kids prior to introducing the office setting. With that foundation, kids can transition to the dental home where the dentist, hygienist, and assistant can interact more comfortably to reinforce oral hygiene and prevention from the earloiest age possible.

I modeled toothbrushing as I sat next to the tub from about 10 months to 18 months before he really mirrored the simple techniques of getting to back and front teeth. Modeling is a great part of the growth process for any part of a child's development. But the fine motor skills to reproduce or mimic a modeled behavior like brushing don't emerge until about the first year.

Age 3 was another high point, where he was adamant about trying to do it on his own without our help. Which we allowed. But lke I tell parents: Encouraging independence and observing it are two different animals. There needs to be coaching and participation even from age 3.

We started with a non-electric brush, but made the move to an electric brush at about age 2. There was some flip-flopping with the type of brush. But generally, an electric brush is the best thing you can condition your kids to use from the get-go. There is so much more efficiency and effectiveness with an electric brush. They are cheap, and they are exponentially more successful at removing plaque.

So here we are, at 6 years old, a major developmental point for kids. Neural pathways are being solidified, and behavioral patterns are starting to become more apparent. Learning a personal healthcare skill or habit for a lifetime is a good thing to instill before age 6. At this point, kids have started to define their identity. And that includes how they identify with their personal health. Gus is not going to brush his teeth every day by himself without some prompting, but he is practicing the skills on his own with success. He knows it is important prevention, because we hear him discuss it now.

We're following the same path for his sister, Vivienne. And so far, it's a rerun. She's growing into health too.