Making Brushing and Cavity Prevention Fun

by | Nov 1, 2019 | Uncategorized

Has your child ever complained about not wanting to brush their teeth? We have heard children with disdain towards brushed numerous times in our office. But, brushing is such a large part of oral and dental care for your child.
Brushing stimulates the gums and wards off gum disease and removes the tartar and plaque that contributes to cavities. However, most children are on the team of, “Brushing is boring,” and do not take the adequate time that is necessary. So how do you get your child to brush effectively? The trick is to make it fun and interesting.
Here are a few fun ways, parent-tested and kid-approved, to make brushing and cavity prevention fun.
Children follow by example. If they see you brushing and taking care of your teeth and gums, they will hopefully want to do the same! You can do something fun like playing a game of “who can get the most toothpaste bubbles” while you work on that smile!
Rewards are helpful. Helping your child to figure out the benefits of brushing their teeth is important, and shouldn’t be above a reward if they are making improvements. If they are brushing twice a day, reward them with a small toy or screen time of their choice.
It’s electric! Your toothbrush, that is. You see the toothbrushes with your child’s favorite characters on them everywhere, for a reason! These fun additions to their oral care routine can help them enjoy brushing. Plus, a lot of them have special lights and timers on them to measure the time spent brushing, which is something exciting for your child to look forward to when it comes time.
Let them choose the toothpaste. Children have opinions on everything that they put into their mouth. Your picky eater may also have picky opinions on toothpaste. Letting them choose their own gives them even more independence in this task.
Let’s practice counting. Depending on the age of your child, you can also use this as a math lesson. Counting with them, either the time spent brushing or brushing each tooth can create an entertaining atmosphere for brushing time. This doesn’t have to be a chore for either of you.
There are a lot more ways to build on these ideas and to help your child get motivated about brushing and cavity prevention (other than an intimidating chat about a trip to the dentist).
With a little help from you in building an enjoyable atmosphere around dental care, your children are sure to build the habits that set them on the path to a lifetime of good dental health, after a little while.
Our team at Kidtastic dental can help you continue in your child’s oral care. Give our office a call to set-up their next dental check so that we can see how well they’re doing!

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