How important is brushing and flossing for a young child?
The parent, not the child, should be responsible for seeing that a child’s teeth are cleaned properly on a daily basis. When a child is around four, he/she should brush with supervision once daily and the parent should always brush and floss the child’s teeth before putting them to bed. Flossing must begin as soon as any teeth touch. This could be as early as 18 months. Parents should always floss baby teeth to prevent interproximal decay. Parents need to floss their own teeth to prevent gum disease.