Does any one get their children to floss their teeth??

[looby3]

DD2 aged 7 has had a lesson on teeth today and the class have been told that they should be flossing their teeth every day.

We haven't been flossing, I thought they were too young. I've got that bad mother feeling (again!)......

In interest, when are children supposed to start flossing???? My LO is 2.5 and seems to get meat stuck in his teeth all the time so the only way to get it out is to use a bit of floss.... not that he has gappy teeth or anything... but it annoys him when it does get stuck...but I only do floss him when he requests me to remove said bits of food...don't get me wrong i don't go out of my way to floss his pearly whites..

I've asked my dentist whether dcs should be flossing and he says no. Should they be??

Our dentist says there is no need yet.

my dentist said not to

can damage gums

Hard enough to get DS to actually brush his teeth properly! (And I hate flossing.)

as far as my dentist recommends, flossing should be started idealy as they enter puberty as their gums start to swell slightly with the extra hormones etc.

I had to ask this as my 13yo DD has had bleeding gums recently and so I took her thinking she had gingivitus. she did have it mildly infact, but it started because of the hormones etc and then she started avoiding brushing because of the pain/blood etc. I noticed (well, her teeth were disgusting--sick face).
dentist was lovely and went thro it with her and gave her some special cleaning paste. all cleared up 2wks later and she lots happier again.....well, excepting for the flossing as she gags trying to do it.

Does any one have advice re flossing children's teeth?
I seem to remember being advised not pre teen. Partner keen to with 8 and 5yr old, but I'm concerned re potential gum damage.