It's pretty common knowledge that poor dental health equals poor general health. In fact, studies have shown that dental problems can lead to more serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. When you teach your children how important it is for them to establish excellent dental hygiene, you'll be doing them a huge service.    

At Home - It's easy to remind your kids to brush and floss, but that doesn't mean it really gets done.

• When your kids are little, consider setting up a time for all of them to brush their teeth at the same time after they've had meals and snacks. Placing a timer by the bathroom sink may add some fun to the chore. Just tell them they can't stop until the buzzer goes off.
• Another idea is to give your kids a piece of floss while they're taking their baths. Make the job more fun by giving the floss a name like Flossie Flora or Flossie Freddie and challenge them to make their floss buddy go through the spaces between their teeth at least once.
• Stickers or other incentives are great, too. However, consider giving it a different slant by telling them that they can also catch each other flossing or brushing. When they do both kids get a sticker.

At The Dental Office - Remember that visiting the dentist every six months is a good guideline (click here for more info).

• Consider finding a pediatric dentist. 
• It's a great idea to visit the pediatric dental office to scope it out yourself. Is the office attractive? Are there fun toys and other past times to occupy the kids while they're waiting their turn to see the dentist?
• What about the staff? Are the staff members friendly and will they make your children feel comfortable and secure? Does the pediatric dentist have a good rapport with kids?  

Specialized Dentistry - Things would be really easy if all we had to worry about was fighting cavities. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

• Even when children are very young the pediatric dentist might find that braces are needed to prevent problems later. If so, your pediatric dentist will make a recommendation of an orthodontist that works well with children.
• If accidents happen while playing sports or in other activities, teeth may be damaged. If so, an implant dentist may be needed. This is a dentist that has received special training and has obtained credentials that show he or she is an expert in this field.
• As your kids get older, the time may come when they need to get their wisdom teeth removed. If your pediatric dentist doesn't perform this procedure, an oral surgeon will be recommended.

Consider keeping a journal with your child's dental history in it. This might be very useful at a later date.