Top Tips for Getting Kids to Brush Their Teeth
Every parent knows just how difficult it can be to make your children do anything they don’t want to. However, getting your kids into the habit of practicing good oral hygiene is something that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
The importance of a good, regular, teeth-brushing regimen ensures that your child’s mouth is healthy, and that tooth decay is kept to a minimum. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some tried and tested ways of getting your kids to regularly brush their teeth — and maybe enjoy it too.
Lead by example
By showing your children that you’re excited about your own oral hygiene, they’ll become excited too. Show them you’re happy when you brush your teeth, and they’ll stop thinking of it as a chore. When you make it look like fun, perhaps by using an electric toothbrush, they’ll be enthusiastic about brushing their teeth too.
Praise your kids for brushing their teeth
Whenever your children brush teeth in the correct way and for two solid minutes, praise them and let them know they’ve done a good job. It may sound obvious, but this will encourage them to keep on brushing their teeth in the future.
Buy kids’ toothpaste
Often, the strength of adult toothpastes can be too much for little mouths, so allow your children to pick out a kids’ toothpaste they like the look of.
Use an egg timer to countdown the time to brush
Two minutes of solid brushing can be a very long time to a child, so consider buying an egg timer to countdown the time, and allow them to be in charge of setting it.
Brush with a favorite toy
Encourage your kids to bring their favorite stuffed animal or doll into the bathroom with them, and have them brush the toy’s “teeth” too.
Tell them a story
All kids love a good story, so make one up about all the plaque monsters and sugar bugs that they need to cleaned away.
Show them their plaque
Visit the dentist, or pharmacy and buy a dissolving agent that your kids chew up, and the pink of the tablet shows them where their plaque is. When your kids can physically see where the bacteria in their mouth are, they’ll feel spurred on to get rid of them.
We hope these tips have helped you with a few ideas on how to get your kids brushing their teeth regularly. If you’re still having trouble with your kids teeth or getting them to practice good oral hygiene habits, come in and see us here at Smile On, your local
family dentist in the Lakeview, Chicago area. We can help your child learn that brushing their teeth is imperative for a healthy smile. Give us a call today at 773-570-1647.
