Get a FREE Consultation!
First Name:
Last Name:
Email:
Phone
Procedure/ Service Interested In:

Comments:

Making Brushing Fun for Kids

One of the universal challenges for parents is teaching their children good dental habits. Kids love eating in general, and eating junk food in particular, but getting them into the bathroom to brush their teeth afterward—well, it might just be easier to get them to eat their vegetables on the first try! But the ability of parents to make brushing fun for kids is absolutely essential, because it will teach their children lessons that will pay dividends, in the form of healthy teeth and good dental habits, decades down the road. Brushing children’s teeth is something that has to happen multiple times per day. Here are some tips on how to get your children to enjoy brushing their teeth:

—Give them a reward: This will only make brushing fun for so long, obviously, and it’s not necessarily a well you want to tap into too often. But using the lure of a reward sparingly could make your life much easier and brushing children’s teeth much healthier. Perhaps promise your children a treat on the weekend—a toy or a trip to the movies or their favorite meal—if they brush their teeth every morning and evening from Sunday through Friday. Slowly but surely extend the timeframe—first one week, then two weeks, then three weeks—and before you know it brushing their teeth will be second nature for your children and they won’t even be doing it with the promise of a reward.

—Get kid-themed toothbrushes and toothpaste: While a generic toothbrush from the dentist’s office is a good, now most supermarkets and drug stores make brushing fun with cool oral hygiene options developed just for kids. Get your kids a toothbrush adorned with a picture of their favorite cartoon character—and similarly themed toothpaste, too! Turn brushing children’s teeth into an event, something they will look forward to doing a couple of times a day.

—Set a good example. Don’t let dental care and teeth brushing become a case of “do as I say, not as I do.” If your children see you practicing what you preach and brushing your teeth multiple times per day, they are more likely to follow suit and to continue doing so for years to come. Make it clear how important good dental habits are to you and how brushing needs to be a daily part of life. And if all else fails, tell them that Grandma and Grandpa used to lecture you about how children brushing their teeth was important - and how right they were! (Kids, after all, never argue about something their grandparents say!)

—If all else fails, run with a little “tough love.” Remind your children that if they don’t take care of their teeth now, they might not have beautiful strong, healthy teeth years down the road. It’s tough, of course, to get anyone—especially pre-teens—to think long-term, but let them know the risks of a lifetime of poor dental habits. Children brushing teeth at an early age leads to good dental habits as adults, so hopefully a little scare will go a very long way and get your kids to enjoy brushing their teeth at a young age.

Back to Dental Articles

Stay in Touch with the Howell Dental with special offers, news and events