It’s hard enough to get your kids to sleep without adding the burden of brushing. Using these oral care habits in your child early is necessary to develop, but it is not an easy process.
We may never know why children try to avoid brushing their teeth, whether it’s the surprise of water attacking their teeth, the scent or flavor of the toothpaste, or the sense that cleaning their teeth seems to be something they “must do.”
The Horrors of Not Brushing Teeth
Whether you like it or not, proper tooth brushing habits are a part of life, and the sooner children learn to incorporate them into their regular routines, the better. But, unfortunately, CDC tells us that over 20% of children aged five to eleven have unsolved tooth decay based on the current data.
Routine dental and fluorine procedures help avoid cavities, but two times brushing is perhaps one of the earliest points in cavity management.
The fantastic thing is that there are many methods that parents may try at home that do not require scaring their children with the possibility of cavities. So let’s turn tooth brushing and cleaning enjoyable and regular with these ten creative approaches.
10 Fun Ways to Make Brushing Fun for Kids
Be The Role Model
Do you know about the phrase “Monkey See, Monkey Do”? Kids are little imitators; they copy what their parents do, so it is your best bet to set healthy habits. For example, show them how you brush your teeth; you can talk about each set. As a result, the kids will know how you brush your teeth.
Your habits will fix the idea in their mind that brushing their teeth is a responsibility. Then, slowly, the tradition of brushing teeth will become second nature to them!
Turn Up The Music!
Who doesn’t love music? We are sure your kid has a favorite track or two, so why don’t you play that in the background to bait your child to the bathroom!
It has been observed that dancing to music helps youngsters develop motor skills while also expressing themselves. Moreover, music improves memory skills in youngsters! Therefore, music can be the perfect tool to make happy memories by brushing teeth.
Make It A Family Activity
Family activities are usually a fun way to get a habit going. Get all the family members in the bathroom and get brushing those teeth! Kids will learn that brushing is just something that happens. Because the family is doing this together, they will get the hang of it.
Let Them Play Pretend
As we have mentioned before, kids love to copy their parents. You might see them playing with their toys copying your daily chores. Use this to your advantage and apply this to brushing.
First, help your child brush their teeth. Next, you can ask them to do the same thing to their toy. This playdate will make your child love brushing their teeth!
Turn It Into A Game
Kids love competing in everything! They are always up for competition; you have a chance to turn a brush into a game! Challenge your children to a two-minute showdown. In this, they will have to keep brushing for two minutes constantly; the one who didn’t stop wins! We do recommend checking if they are brushing correctly, though!
Understand What Bothers Them
Some kids might be finding it hard to brush their teeth because something might be bothering them—we advise you to look at your children’s issues and fix them as you go.
Here are some things that might be bothering your kids:
- The temperature of the water (e.g., cold water might activate sensitivity)
- The flavor of the toothpaste
- The brush itself
- The proper brushing technique
There can be many more issues; these are just some key ones to watch out for when they brush. The best way is to help them out with these issues. Talk to them about what is bothering them so they don’t resent brushing.
Fun Brush = Happy Child
Let your child pick out the toothbrush of their choice. Then, let them get creative with the color choices and patterns. Getting brushes in their favorite color helps them identify with their uniqueness. In addition, it helps them know that it was their choice, making them more excited to try brushing teeth!
Reward Them For Their Effort
Rewarding your child for doing more of what you want them to do can help them do more of what you want them to do. The best rewards are those that happen immediately following a behavior.
Set small rewards each night to excite them to brush their teeth. It could be a meal of their choice the next day, letting them pick their favorite book for bedtime, or by giving them stickers for each day that they brush!
Role Play As A Dentist
Brushing and going to the dentist might be scary to the kids. However, acting as a dentist and letting your kids clean your teeth or check-in your mouth teaches nothing to be afraid of!
To make playtime feel more convincing, you may even buy toy dental kits online. Then, as your kid gains confidence, you can switch between being the dentist and the patient.
Make Going To The dentist Fun
A dentist appointment doesn’t need to be scary. Make it known to your children that coming to the dentist is the result of their hard work in creating healthy dental practices, and avoid painting it as a terrible outcome for not brushing and flossing regularly.
Work with Professionals Who Care
Victory Plaza Dental is here to help you out with all of your dental details! We are here to educate the public about the importance of good dental health and get people to lose their fear of dentists.
Want an appointment with the best children dentist in North Hollywood, Victory Plaza Dental? Call us at (818) 927-0726 and get the best dental care!