Teaching your child proper oral hygiene may sometimes seem like an insurmountable task, given children’s general playfulness and forgetfulness. All the same, it’s important to do your best to ensure that they have the right healthy habits. Have a look at this guide to get some ideas about how you can teach your kids oral hygiene.
Find a Good Dentist
Good oral health is founded on the dentist that looks after your children’s teeth, so take time to find a good one for them. Ask fellow parents who their children see for their oral health needs and search online. Make sure to read the reviews of those you consider working with to see if they have a good reputation for working with children. In 2019, there were roughly 200,419 active dentists in the United States, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the one that you feel will meet your needs. Write down the most important qualities you need in your ideal dentist and don’t deviate too far from this list.
Make Oral Health Routines Fun
It’s well-known that children aren’t the most attentive, so it may take some work to get them to focus on their oral health and do what they need to do. With this in mind, you need to find a way to make oral health fun for them. This could include teaching them fun songs to sing while they brush their teeth to ensure they’re brushing for the right length of time. You could also find some simple but fun experiments to do with them so they see the consequences and results of oral health, or lack thereof, in real-time. This may help them remember that they need to focus on taking care of their oral health.
Start Early
The fact that roughly 25% to 50% of children need orthodontic treatment should show you that it’s never too early to start your child on a good oral health routine. From when the first tooth comes in, you should start to brush it with the appropriate toothbrush and toothpaste. Don’t forget to schedule regular appointments with the dentist as this may help uncover potential issues long before they get out of hand. As mentioned, finding the right dentist will go a long way in enabling you to make oral health fun for your kids.
Get Fun Accessories
Since you know the types of things that your child loves, you should have an easy time matching their interests. For instance, get them a toothbrush set in the theme of their favorite superhero or cartoon character. This will make it a bit more fun for them to keep up with their oral health, and you may not need to keep reminding them after they get into the habit. Remember to change their toothbrushes regularly so they can keep having the right results.
Find a Way to Motivate them
Finally, simply telling your kids that they should brush their teeth to maintain good oral health may not be enough to motivate them to do it. With this in mind, you could look for fun ways in which you can get them motivated. For example, tell them they can have a bit more screen time to play their favorite game or watch a show they love if they remember to brush their teeth on time for a number of days. Doing this may reinforce positive behavior and ensure that they won’t grow up to be among the one out of every five adults in America who won’t have seen a dentist recently when surveys are taken.
Use this guide to teach your kids oral hygiene and they will grow up thankful for it. With a confident and healthy smile, they will be sure to teach their own families the same.
