Dr. Natalie Carr-Bustillo (DDS, MS), answers questions from our community and shares helpful oral care tips for kids (and grandkids!).

Q: Tips for helping kids floss?

A: I recommend parents help their children floss until around age 11. It takes coordination, and most kids don’t have the fine motor skills to do it thoroughly on their own until then. When they’re younger, try sitting or standing behind them while you floss. It’s easier since your hands move the same way they do when you floss your own teeth, giving you better control than standing face-to-face.

Q: We are raising our 2 grandsons; it’s been a challenge to get the 11-year-old to brush twice a day. I need some ideas to entice him to do a thorough cleaning.

A: If he’s rushing, try keeping things positive instead of calling it out. I tell kids brushing is like sweeping a floor — if you miss the edges, it’s not really clean. Same with teeth: if the brush doesn’t hit the gumline, it’s not fully clean.

Try asking specific questions to guide them, like:

• Did you remember the gumline?
• How about the fronts of those upper back teeth and the inside of the lowers?
• Did you get your tongue as well?