Teaching kids about the importance of keeping up with their oral hygiene can feel like an uphill battle for most parents. Implementing good oral hygiene from a young age is crucial, and that starts with making tooth brushing fun. When their dental hygiene routine is a fun and enjoyable experience, they’re more likely to keep up with the habit and have healthy teeth. What can you do to encourage your child to start brushing more regularly? These five tips for teaching kids from our kid dentist in Saskatoon will help you teach kids to brush in a way that sticks:
Teach Kids As Early As Possible
The best and easiest way to make sure that your little one is diligent in their tooth brushing time is to start them at an early age. As soon as they have a tooth poking through the gums, it can be beneficial to start brushing. Not only does this protect the tooth from decay, but it also teaches your child that this is normal and expected. When your child is exposed to tooth brushing from the earliest age, you will find that they are more likely to stick with it in the years to come. In other words, they won’t know that there is any other way to manage their dental hygiene. Once they reach an age where they can understand why it is important to keep teeth healthy, you can start explaining it to them. Understanding the reason behind why you regularly brush often makes kids even more invested in the process.
Make It a Fun Routine
You want your kids to brush their teeth effectively, but that can be fun! Kids do better with their oral hygiene when the process of brushing is seen as something joyful that they get to do rather than something that they have to do. One tip for making brushing fun is to play music while you do so. This makes the two minutes that should be spent brushing teeth fly by.
Don’t Brush Alone
Teaching kids to brush could be as simple as making sure that your child doesn’t brush alone. Implement your own brushing routine alongside them, sharing the sink and the mirror as you scrub your pearly whites. Not only does this set a good example, but it also shows that it matters to everyone in the home.
Give Them Some Say in the Matter
Everyone wants to feel like they have some autonomy in the things they do day after day. While you know that brushing is essential to prevent tooth decay, it may not be enough to motivate your child to brush. Instead, you should give them some small say in how they go about brushing. The easiest way is to let them pick out their own toothbrush. You can even take them down the toothpaste aisle at the store and let them pick their own flavour. There is a lot of toothpaste designed for kids that have fun flavours to get them excited about brushing.
Implement a Reward System
What motivates your child to get things done? Maybe they want a special privilege or a new toy. You can tap into their desires with a reward chart for tooth brushing. This is a great way to get kids to put in some extra effort when it comes to brushing their teeth. Each time they brush, they might earn a sticker on their chart (no more than twice a day—you don’t want them to go crazy with brushing!). When they have a long enough unbroken string of stickers, you can reward them with something that motivates them. You might take them for an experience such as a trip to the zoo or invest in new art supplies. Think about what motivates your child and choose accordingly.
Start Kids Early
The best thing you can do to implement good oral hygiene is to start teaching them how to maintain healthy teeth from an early age. The above 5 tips for teaching kids to brush will help you lay the foundation for a lifetime of good oral hygiene. You’ll be giving your child a priceless gift.If you need help teaching your kids to brush correctly, you require a skilled pediatric dentist in Saskatoon. Dental House has the experience you need to start them early and give them a healthy mouth!