The Easiest Ways to Instill Healthy Brushing Habits In Your Children
If you’re a parent with a young child, you may know the struggle of getting him or her to brush their teeth twice a day. You may also experience some trouble when asking your child to help with any chore to be honest, but brushing their teeth tends to be one of the hardest challenges for young children around the world. It’s such a problem in fact, that nearly half of all children in America experience some form of tooth decay between the ages of 2 and 11. For the sake of their oral health in the long run, it’s imperative for parents to begin encouraging their children to brush regularly and establish these brushing habits as soon as possible. When these habits are established early, children are more likely to grow up having the strongest, healthiest teeth they can.
However, as many parents come to find out, this is no easy task. Many children require a bit more motivation in order to maintain a regular brushing schedule. Luckily for parents, there are a number of ways to make the process of establishing these habits a bit more simple. Continue reading below for the best tips and tricks to healthy oral hygiene for your children.
Gamify Brushing: children love taking part in games or fun activities. For most children, they look at brushing their teeth as a chore, something they have no desire to do. In order to make brushing more appealing to their children, parents can try to turn it into a game. Seeing who can brush the longest, racing your child to the sink in the morning and before bed to brush, or even pretending to be the patient while your child is the dentist are some examples of this. Anything to distract your child from the discomfort they may find from brushing their teeth twice daily.
Family Brushing Time: similarly to the last tip, children often enjoy mimicking those around them. No guarantee that they’ll rush to copy you brushing your teeth, but if your child feels uncomfortable brushing alone, you could always brush your teeth alongside of them to make them feel more comfortable. In doing so, you’re reinforcing the habit of brushing twice daily which will be successful in the long run.
Choosing The Right Toothbrush: sometimes it can be the smaller things that are holding your child back from establishing the healthiest brushing habits. Allowing your children a sense of individuality in selecting their brush has shown some success in regards to converting a child’s opinion on brushing to be more positive. A brush with their favorite cartoon character plastered all over it, or a brush in their favorite color can be a good start. If your child shows interest in a particular brush, be sure to humor them and see just how much of a difference the brush they use can make.
Begin The Process Early: do not wait until your dentist alerts you that your child’s oral health is on the decline. As soon as your child feels comfortable palming a toothbrush on their own, begin instilling these habits. The sooner they have even a remotely regular brushing schedule, the more likely they are to avoid any sort of discomfort that can come from lack of brushing.
For more information on how to instill these habits in your children, check out the featured infographic below. Courtesy of Sycamore Hills Dentistry. In it, you’ll find additional helpful ideas that can help teach children how to properly maintain healthy oral hygiene.
