Tips on What Parents Can Do to Make Their Child Brush Twice Every Day
It is hard for parents to convince children to brush their teeth every day, we realized this after we became parents to a beautiful and strong-minded daughter who prefers to do things her way. We spent hours explaining to her why oral hygiene was important but the mind of a three-year-old is not mature enough to understand repercussions. We, therefore, had to come up with all kinds of games to convince our little one.
Many parents give up against this twice-daily battle, which they shouldn’t. After all, tooth decay is one of the chronic diseases that affect children aged between 6 and 19. More importantly, several studies have linked poor oral hygiene with increased chances of infections and dental pain. This article is a must-read for parents who find it hard to convince their kids to brush their teeth twice a day. Here we discuss simple tricks to get your kid interested in dental hygiene.
Practice What You Preach
First things first, if you want your kid to learn good things, you must practice good things. Children mimic their parents. Thus, if they see you brushing twice a day or flossing regularly, they will emulate you and develop the same habits eventually. In conclusion, make sure to have your kid around when you are brushing your teeth or flossing.
Start Early
Most parents wait for their kids to develop a few teeth before starting with their oral routine. The truth is experts say you don’t have to wait that long to build up a dental care routine. Start as early as you can. During infancy, use a soft and damp cloth to clean your baby’s gums. Once they start developing teeth, switch to a toothbrush. By the time they are two or three, you can start with flossing as well. Similarly, make sure to introduce your child to their dentist at an early age — this way, your child will learn to be comfortable around their dentist.
Try Playing Some Fun Games
Dentists recommend brushing twice every day and for at least two minutes every time. Why? Because the longer your brush, the more bacteria you get rid of. However, kids do not want to brush their teeth for more than five seconds. Here are a few games you can play with your little one to make them brush their teeth for at least two minutes every day.
- While you and your kid are watching their favorite cartoon show, ask them to brush for 30-seconds every time there is a commercial on TV. However, make sure to turn off the TV at least half an hour before your kid’s nap time.
- Ask them to brush their teeth while you play their favorite song.
- Buy them a toothbrush that automatically starts blinking after two minutes. Kids love things like that.
- Lastly, get a cute egg timer filled with colorful sand and ask your kid to brush their teeth till all the sand reaches the bottom.
Offer Rewards
The reward system works very well with children. As parents, you must learn to be good negotiators. If you want your kid to brush twice every day, you will have to learn to offer rewards that are not detrimental to their health. For instance, you can tell your kid they can watch TV for 15 extra minutes if they brush twice every day. Similarly, you can offer to take them to a movie they want to see. These little things matter much to the young ones.
Tell Them an Interesting Story
Kids love stories. So, get them interested in oral hygiene by telling them interesting stories. For instance, when everything else didn’t work with my little one, I told her animals are hiding inside her mouth and that she must get rid of all of them. After she would brush her teeth, I would compliment her and tell her I can see no animals now. It worked every single time.
In Conclusion
When it comes to kids, it is hard to explain everything, and wrong to expect them to understand everything. As parents, you will have to learn to be creative. Hope the tips and tricks discussed in this article will allow you to convince your little one to brush every day.
For more information regarding your child’s dental health, please give Dr. Apsey of Smile Brightly Dental a call today! We are located in Warren, MI and we can be reached at 586-573-7700!