Boy brushing his teeth in bathroom at home
Before your kids get used to brushing their teeth, getting them to start brushing their teeth more often and on their own regularly seems like a battle that you cannot win. A tooth cleaning routine can be tedious, especially for kids. Cleaning teeth is a healthy habit that will help prevent tooth decay in your children. Brushing teeth is easier said than done, and on most occasions, parents struggle to get their kids to adjust to this. Here are a few tricks and tips to help you navigate through this and come out of it with children with clean teeth:
1. Choose flavored toothpaste and animated toothbrushes
Allow your child to select an electric toothbrush with their favorite cartoon characters embalmed. Specially, these are produced for the small, growing mouths and can look a little more like a toy than an oral hygiene tool for a kid. Choose types of toothpaste depending on the flavors and color to try to find the best one. Even though dentists say that children don’t need to clean their teeth using toothpaste, they will eagerly want to cooperate if they like the flavor. The most popular flavors are sparkle mint, strawberry, and even bubble gum flavors. The majority of people do not understand that adult toothpaste is never ideal for their children. This is because adult toothpaste does not look appealing to your children, and they have the ‘zing effect’ that does not attract children as flavored toothpaste does. Your children will feel empowered if they have choices and decide on what type of toothpaste and flavor they want. Therefore, purchase multiple flavors to pick out from and remember that this is not a loss compared to the losses you will incur if your child’s teeth are spoiled and need filings.
2. Make it fun
Children love games and are most excited about carrying out activities that bond with others, more so their parents. Unluckily, children link cleaning their teeth to bedtime, and bedtime is taboo when it comes to little children! Sometimes, making brushing teeth is difficult, and what works today might be a disaster tomorrow. But you can always find ways to spice it up; Play along with them as all of you brush your teeth. Sit on the floor and imitate each other or play games like CopyCat, which can grab your children’s attention. Another trick is to play their favorite song or sing it for them to dance to as they brush their teeth. You can also clean their teeth before they change into their pajamas, or get into the shower. As much as you can, try to dissociate bedtime and teeth cleaning.
3. Set alarms
Schedule the time to clean your children’s teeth on your alarm clock or phone to remind your children whenever it is time to clean their teeth. Be consistent so that you can establish a routine, and over time, your children will not need to be told to clean their teeth.
4. Model good behaviors
Coordinate your schedule with that of your children so that you can brush your teeth together. Making sure that they have healthy teeth should be a priority. If the children see you doing something, they will want to do it too. Therefore, you should do your best to lead by example. During cleaning, you can take the opportunity to show them how to clean their teeth properly. A dentist in Raleigh NC states that maintaining teeth health “supports the overall health of a person.” This is why it is important that you and your children are brushing, flossing, and attending teeth cleaning appointments regularly.
5. Commend them
Commend your children’s brushing. Using positive reinforcement will help create a lifelong dental maintenance routine. You can create a sticker chart whereby you give your children stars according to how they floss once a day and brush their teeth twice a day.
6. Brush early
Make a habit of cleaning teeth early before the children become too tired. After a long day, the last thing your children want is to clean their teeth before they go to bed. Doing the teeth cleaning early will make sure that they are present and awake for the routine. It will surely prevent them from dozing off mid-routine. Employing all these techniques ensures that your children’s teeth cleaning routine is fun and involving.
By implementing these tips, your children will learn to master the art of oral hygiene faster and do it daily. Having excellent teeth health contributes to other parts of your health. Your children will learn the importance of brushing each and every day.
