8 Easy Dental Tips to Teach Your Kids
What's the best way to encourage children to brush their teeth without waging war and going into battle? There's no clear answer, and there's no one right way to do it because different children have different ways to learn, absorb and practice. What works for your child may not work for someone else's child.
So, what do you do? The quick answer here is to try and test different methods, tips and tricks and see which works. Here are eight exciting and fun ways to get your child to love brushing their teeth. It's the first step to long-lasting dental hygiene.
Allow Them To Lead The Process
Want to teach your kids how to make the right decisions, lead and be responsible for their health and body? Get them to lead the way when it comes to their body. Allow your kids to choose their favorite toothbrush design from the store and the toothpaste of their choice. This will encourage them to make decisions for themselves and make them excited to try their new toothbrush.
Accommodate the bathroom to fit their tiny selves
Most bathrooms are designed for grown adults. While you can retrofit a bathroom for your child, they will grow up and would not find any use for a child-size bathroom. That doesn't mean you cannot add accommodations to ensure your child can use the bathroom space comfortably and safely. You can add things like a low-hanging mirror or safe, stable steps. These items allow children to reach the basin and tap to turn it on or off independently.
Develop a routine
One of the best ways to teach kids anything would be to establish a routine. Include a schedule for when to eat breakfast, shower, go to bed and so on. Establishing routines help keep them safe and develop healthy habits as they grow.
Think about the practice you'd like to introduce to your child and what would it look like based on your daily lives? Create something simple for them to follow and expand as they grow older and are ready to take on more independence. Ideally, you should include dentist appointments as part of the routine. It will make them feel more comfortable about visiting the dentist regularly as they grow older.Take turns to brush teeth with your child
mother and daughter brush my teeth
Show your kids that it's fun to brush teeth together. This can be done with other siblings, with one or both parents or everyone in the household. It's a great activity to do as a family, and fun games can be added to the brushing routine to make it exciting.
Use activity sheets and mouth models
There are plenty of ways to teach children the inner workings of their teeth and gums, and one way is to use activity sheets and mouth models. Show them how to use their brush and how to make sure every corner of their mouth is brushed and cleaned. Kids love to see and touch, and by using a mouth model accompanied with activity sheets, they can retain this information easily.
Add a song and dance to the routine
Who said brushing teeth is an activity done in total silence? If you find it hard to get your kid excited to brush their teeth, how about introducing some song and dance to their routine? Ask your child if they'd like to hear music while brushing their teeth. You can create a playlist of all their favorite songs to play when it's time to get their teeth brushed and cleaned.
Music and some simple dance steps will make brushing teeth less of a chore. Dentists recommend brushing teeth for at least 2 minutes, so including songs to help them brush their teeth will ensure they continue this routine for the recommended amount of time.Create a reward system
If you're really in a hard time getting your kids to brush their teeth regularly, then you might want to consider a reward system. A sticker chart is an ideal way to help make the process easier. Have your child pick a sticker for their chart after each time they brush their teeth. You could also give them a little prize at the end of the month. This would encourage them to be part of the tooth brushing process, and hopefully, it'll turn into an everyday routine they can't miss.
Brushing buddies
Kids are also more inclined to do something when they see their peers at it. Setting up brushing buddies with another kid from school is another excellent way to set a routine and behavior. Make arrangements with the parent of your kid's best friend. Then, set a time to video call so they can both brush their teeth simultaneously.
Dental hygiene is so important, which is why starting your kids on the dental hygiene path at a very young age will encourage this good behavior into their adulthood. As time goes on and they become more comfortable, teeth brushing at home will be more peaceful and less of a battle.
