Effective Tips to Encourage Children to Brush Their Teeth
3 min read
Cavities, also known as tooth decay, are among the most chronic diseases affecting children. Infections and pain from untreated dental cavities can interfere with daily activities and lead to eating, talking, playing, and academic problems. Children who suffer from oral health issues are more likely to skip school and have poor academic performance.
Dental hygiene is essential at any stage of life, but it is crucial for children. The formative years are crucial to establish the foundation for a lifetime of healthy oral health. But, we are aware that teaching children about tooth brushing can be challenging, dirty, and sometimes even complex. Success requires a lot of determination, confidence, and motivation.
How do you get your children to brush their teeth?
Although you must begin brushing your child’s teeth as early as they have their first tooth, which is about six months old, You may face difficulty getting your child to participate until they’re a bit older. But there are steps to make brushing more enjoyable and comfortable for your child.
1. Personalize Their Brushing Experience
Giving your child the option of choosing their toothpaste and toothbrush can be an easy way to make brushing more enjoyable. However, only when the toothbrush has soft bristles and the toothpaste has fluoride. Allowing your child to have a say about the tools they use to brush their teeth will make them feel more involved with the procedure.
A lot of children’s toothbrushes have the most popular cartoon characters. Additionally, according to the best pediatric dentist in Calgary, toothpaste with a bubblegum flavor is famous for the targeted group. Keep in mind that children under three require one grain of rice worth of toothpaste every time, and children between the ages of three and six only require a teaspoon.
2. Compare Before and After Pictures
It is common to find an informational brochure or a three-ring binder featuring dental restoration success stories with before and after photos in the waiting area of any dental practice. The images are intended to help promote the procedure for those with similar dental problems. Parents can use these images to teach their children the negative consequences of not caring for their teeth.
Find restorations that have been completed due to the deterioration of your teeth. Consider the cost of dental procedures (such as extractions, fillings, replacement teeth, and root canal Ottawa) with more tangible items that your child might be interested in, like gaming consoles with video games, brand-new bicycles, or a new computer.
3. Establish a Bedtime Routine
Please encourage your children to follow the same routine at night: brushing their teeth and reading a book (or two) before going to sleep at the same time each night. Establishing bedtime routines that encourage healthy eating, early literacy, and proper dental hygiene will help your family get on the right foot.
Many children’s books deal with dental health from a child’s perspective, making it much easier to communicate the message at their level of understanding.
4. Be Creative
If your child has more trouble than strict monitoring can handle, try making brushing fun. One way to keep your kid interested in brushing without making it the primary occasion is to throw an impromptu dance party with upbeat beats while you brush.
Create a game and provide rewards for your kid. Create a daily toothbrushing chart and give a small reward to your child once they’ve completed all the spaces. To get in touch with a specialist in orthodontics West Kelowna, you can ask around locally or quickly search the web for connections.
5. Make It a Family Time
Your children may indeed want to look like you, and therefore, if you brush your teeth each day and evening, it could rub off onto your children. One way to accomplish that is taking a couple of minutes from your routines in the morning and at night to clean your teeth. If you make it an everyday routine before reaching a certain age, they will not question it or even try to understand the reason or why behind it.