I’m seeing more cavities between baby molars in kids under 6 and wondering what’s working at home. In the clinic I’ve had success letting kids hold a kid-size Y-flosser and racing a 2-minute sand timer after the nighttime brush — parents, do you find floss picks after bath and story are easier, or do you save it for weekends?
We made it stick by keeping a cup of kid Y-flossers next to the bedtime books and turning your “2-minute sand timer” into a race for choosing tomorrow’s song — , skipped nights still happen but the bribe works. On crazy nights we just hit the tight molar contacts and do a full pass with disclosing tablets on Saturday (quick primer: https://www.aapd.org/resources/parent-resources/faq/flossing/). Have you tried letting them “floss” your teeth first to buy cooperation?
What’s worked for my 5-year-old is flossing first with a Y-pick and turning it into “cavity patrol” with a little headlamp — 60 seconds tops — then brushing so fluoride can sit between those molars. On wiped-out nights we just hit the two molar contacts and call it a win. Anyone tried disclosing tablets on Sundays to show the hot spots?