It is very important that we teach kids how to practice proper oral hygiene at an early age. Developing the right habits for brushing your teeth and using dental floss can save you a lot of future trouble. This can help to prevent gingivitis, mouth sores, dental cavities, and many other issues. As such, parents are challenged to learn how to make brushing teeth fun for kids so that they catch on quickly and keep going.
Children can have short attention spans and sometimes be a bit stubborn in following instructions, so it becomes harder to teach kids how to brush and floss. We know how hard this might be, and we have suggested some entertaining methods for practicing good oral hygiene you can work into a brushing teeth activity for kids on your own.
1. Be Creative
The first thing you have to think about is how to get your child’s attention. There are different ways to do this. For example, turn brushing time into storytime. Think of a story for kids wherein brushing their teeth saves the day. Another good brushing tip for kids is to get them toothbrushes that feature their favorite cartoon or Disney characters. This way, you can get them away from the TV or tablet and into the bathroom while still bringing their favorite characters with them. You can also bring the tablet or your smartphone with them in the bathroom and show them cartoons where familiar characters are brushing their teeth. This way, they can brush along with them.
Another tip is to turn it into a game. For example, make it a challenge for your kids to challenge them to go for a full two minutes; tell them they are fighting off cavities as they go — the closer to two minutes, the more they got. There are numerous other tricks you can use as you learn how to make brushing teeth fun for kids. What you have to do is just to figure out which brushing tips for kids work best for your child.
2. Make Brushing Time Family Time
Kids always like interacting with other people, especially with their parents or siblings. A good way to make brushing teeth fun for kids is to make it a family routine. When they see mommy, daddy, and their other siblings brush their teeth, they are sure to jump in on the activity. You can do this at night before going to sleep. Since it is recommended that kids as well as adults brush their teeth for at least two minutes, you can play your child’s favorite songs and brush together for the duration. This method might not only solve the problem on how to make brushing teeth fun for kids, but it can also serve as a daily family bonding activity for everybody.
3. Create a Reward System
There is nothing kids love more than getting a treat for good behavior. Children should brush their teeth at least twice a day and use kids’ dental floss. You can develop a reward system tailored to your kid’s behavior. For example, you can buy your kid a new toy every week so they will brush and floss their teeth twice a day. Just don’t make it too easy for them to get a reward. The trick is to get them to realize that they have to stick to the routine perfectly to get their reward.
4. Bring Variety to Brushing
There are many types of kids’ dental floss and toothpastes on the market. They might have different flavors, and some are fruity like apple, strawberry, or even mint if they like the taste. (Some younger children don’t like the sensation from mint or cinnamon, common in adult toothpaste flavors.) Try different types and spice up toothbrushing by using a different flavor every day. If your child likes a particular flavor over others, you can also stick to that one so that they look forward to brushing their teeth.
While there are a lot of distractions nowadays that could hinder your child from developing a good oral hygiene routine, there are also a variety of creative methods to keep them consistent. It only requires you to spend time with your child and to extend a little extra effort in finding out what works best for them. See a specialist that offers holistic dentistry in Durango, CO for more professional advice and tips. Call Sunrise Dentistry now for an appointment.
