Ways to Make Dental Care More Fun for Your Kids: Part One
Does convincing your kids to brush their teeth each night before bed feel more like torture than responsible parenthood? Are you tired of having the same dental hygiene debate every morning before they head out the door for school? Fortunately your pediatric dentist has lots of helpful ways to make dental hygiene more fun for your kids, so you can all enjoy healthy smiles without so much grumbling. And who doesn’t want that, especially on those already frantic weekday mornings?
Ways to Make Dental Care More Fun
- For young children, especially, letting them choose their own toothbrushes, toothpaste and even floss can help make dental care less of a chore. Giving them ownership in their dental hygiene can help them feel grown up, and more excited about routine dental care.
- Plus, there are plenty of fun flavors available to help make brushing and flossing feel more like a treat. Just make sure you limit their selection to American Dental Association-approved options, to ensure they are getting safe and quality products.
- You already know it’s important that your kids brush their teeth for a full two minutes to minimize plaque buildup between dental checkups. But if lasting through those two minutes is a daily struggle, try choosing a song about that length to play as they brush. This can signal to the whole family when time is up, not to mention makes the routine feel more like a dance party than a duty. There are lots of great options available online. Download one to your phone so it’s convenient to cue it up each morning and evening.
- If you have a chore chart for your kids, be sure to add brushing and flossing to it, so they are clear that it is an important task for them to accomplish each day. If there is a reward system in place, for completing all their chores, this also gives them added incentive to be diligent about their dental hygiene.