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Precautions For Using A Water Flosser With Children

Does your family use a water flosser, like the Waterpik? If so, you should know that there are certain precautions that you should take with your child using that water flosser. Here's what you need to know about the potential problems a water flosser can cause, and how to avoid causing any issues.

The Advantages

To be up front, it's actually a good thing that your family is using a water flosser. Water flossers are an effective tool for blasting away plaque and leftover food bits that can cause bacteria to thrive and plaque to develop. Water flossers have been shown to be beneficial in improving gum health, which people need at all ages, young or old. So don't put away the water flosser just yet - you have the right idea getting one for your family.

Precautions

The main reason why you should be cautious using a water flosser for your entire family is due to your little ones. If you have children of an age where their adult teeth are still coming in, you'll want to be cautious about the water flosser.

Water flossers use strong blasts of water to clear away plaque and debris. This strong water flow is great for that purpose, but it can cause problems when children have loose teeth. When used with a loose tooth, the water flosser could potentially cause pain, bleeding from the involved gums, and in extreme cases, it could even force the tooth to fall out before it's ready to.

While your child has a loose tooth, there are two things you can do. You can help them to use the water flosser yourself, making sure to avoid the tooth that's loose. If you do this, make sure to set the water flosser to the lowest level so that it doesn't use an overly strong stream.

Alternatively, you can skip using the water flosser entirely while you wait for the tooth to come out. You should also give your child a little bit of time after the tooth comes out before they go back to using the water flosser, as the gums will be sensitive at this time.

What to Do If You've Already Used It

If you've already used the water flosser on a child with loose teeth, it might be a good idea to visit your local dentist. Your dentist can take a look and ensure that the tooth isn't damaged. They may also be able to give you additional advice on how to get your child through this period of time efficiently and with as little pain as possible.

Water flossers are great tools year round for adults, but there are some exceptions to when a child should use it. Make sure to avoid using water flossers directly on loose teeth.To learn more about water flossers and your dental hygiene, consider visiting sites like Desert Dental: Ruintan Kamran D.M.D. to learn more.