Teaching young children about oral hygiene is an important parental responsibility. Healthy teeth and gums will be an asset throughout your child's life, and will contribute significantly to his or her overall health.

To begin with, dentists recommend cleaning teeth together as a family, morning and night. Watching their grown up mum and dad – who are also their most important role models – brushing will encourage young children to do the same.

There are also various strategies parents might implement in this area in order to help care for children games reward systems and star charts can prove effective motivations for brushing. Your child 'wins' or gets a reward every time they succeed in producing a perfectly clean mouth.

Above all, however, it is important that children develop an oral hygiene habit. The earlier brushing and flossing become a regular part of their lives, the better.

Clean teeth and gums are an important feature, not simply of oral well-being, but of a healthy body in general. As a parent, it is vital to teach your children about dental care from a young age, and to instil a sense of responsibility that will keep them brushing and flossing.