When to floss toddlers teeth?

[NotBehindTheRadiatorPlease]

Hi all. I am so confused as to when I should start flossing my DD'S teeth! I know you should start brushing them when the first tooth emerges, but I can't seem to find a consensus on when you should start flossing.

My DD is 21 months and we brush her teeth twice a day, but haven't flossed yet. Looking online, some sources say when two teeth touch, some say 2/3 years, and then some say not until they have adult teeth!?

When did you start flossing your kid's teeth? Thanks

Also, as I've already said, Googling is getting vastly different results. All written by dentists, but some say when they have two teeth, some say 2/3 years old, some say 4 years old, some say not until they have all adult teeth. So I was asking other parents to see when they started to get a general consensus.

Perhaps I am mad It is hard enough to brush DD's teeth let alone floss them, but I simply thought I would ask! Apologies if this question has upset anyone although I'm struggling to see why it would

No, you don't floss toddlers teeth.

I have to rugby tackle my DD to get to brush her teeth some days, I cannot imagine how I'd get to floss them. I think this is a hill I would not choose to die on.

My dentists never mentioned it but it's probably a good idea getting used to it as a kid. I don't think I'd use floss tape though i can't use it either, maybe the sticks or interdental brushes.

After adult teeth are in?

I think the answer to this depends on where you live. In some countries like America they advise flossing from 2-3 years, in the UK as far as I'm aware dentists don't advise flossing at all but recommend using interdental brushes from about the age of 12

@ChelseaCat

Could you try a water flosser instead of regular floss?

Ha ha. I know how much the water has the potential to go everywhere when I do this myself but on a toddler, they'll end up soaked!

The idea of even attempting this terrifies me. I have to hold my 3 year old in a headlock just to brush his teeth most days!

Ha ha. I know how much the water has the potential to go everywhere when I do this myself but on a toddler, they'll end up soaked!

So do it in the bath?

But their teeth are so gappy! Surely you don't need to floss!

ok, dentist here op, you don't need to floss a toddlers teeth! adequate brushing is fine. ideally toothpaste with at least 1450 ppm fluoride flossing is when adult dentition almost through so around 11-15ish. and you definitely do need to do some interdental cleaning as an adult whether floss, tepe brushes etc and just brushing most certainly does not "suffice" as a pp said

@IRememberMySpaceBabe

I started when I was about 14 and still do it, and I’ve never had a filling at 35 - so I do think it’s definitely a good thing. But I hadn’t even considered flossing my young DC’s teeth yet!

I never floss unless I've got something between my teeth and have never had a filling at age 30... I think a lot of it is just luck of the draw.

I could never imagine flossing my toddlers teeth, just make sure you brush them properly

@BabyLlamaZen DD's two bottom front teeth touch. Partly why I asked! But it seems like most people don't floss at this age and I really don't want to do it if it's not essential and I don't have to

I had very little dental care as a kid (mum had a crippling fear of the dentist so I don't want be too hard on her) and was never taught how to properly brush or floss, and I had pretty terrible baby teeth (when I did eventually go I had to have several removed due to decay). I'm now fastidious about brushing and flossing my own teeth. So perhaps I'm a little bit too over anxious about my own child's dental health as a result. I just don't want her to experience the same.

@yummytummy ah perfect, thank you!

I think the UK is a bit behind in general with dental stuff. We moved to Germany when DS1 was 5 and I took him to the dentist, when he was about 7 she asked me "How often do you floss his teeth?" and when I looked confused and said, um, never? I got this look as though I said I had never made him brush them!

I had a local friend who was a dentist in the US and she said that there wasn't much point flossing them if there was still a credit card width gap between them. When it gets closer than that it's useful. It's easiest to do with those little floss brush things, not a long piece of string.

It would depend on adult teeth and the spacing between them and even then only per the dentist’s advice. My teeth have no space between them, not even enough for the smallest floss string or a water flosser. I’ve been advised to use an electric toothbrush and visit the dentist every six months.

[quote NotBehindTheRadiatorPlease]@Tyranttoddler I know right? I thought I was asking a fairly innocuous question but people seem utterly outraged by it. Bizarre.[/quote]
Not outraged just probably a bit eye rolling. Its a pretty 'over woke' thing to ask. Your toddler does not have all their teeth and flossing is for when you have a full set of teeth. If its not a common thing there's usually a reason. If you want to floss their teeth though fire away Im sure.

Flossing when they have two teeth...🙄

@Jakey056 asking about flossing is over woke? Really? I honestly didn't mean it to be. It's just that DD has two teeth that touch already and I was wondering.

@Jinglingandnotmingling where did I say she only has two teeth?

Dentist told my 10y old not to floss. Brushing should suffice.

We all went to the dentist in October and I asked the dentist this exact question - she said the same thing, only when any two adult teeth have less than a credit card sized gap between them. But brush twice a day, obv, and every so often I do it for them still (at age 9) so they feel a proper clean and smooth teeth feeling so they know to aim for that every time. I'll do plaque reveal tablets with them soon as well so they can see where they're missing.

You are brave OP. Fuck trying to floss my 2 year teeth. It's hard enough the endless battle of brushing their teeth!

Good question though it had never occurred to me to floss kids teeth. I didn't realise you were meant to do it regularly until I was almost 30. Bless by good teeth and brushing alone to keep them in good condition. I don't even have a filling and I'm 36!