How to Teach Your Kids How to Brush Their Teeth
By Susan Braden
Published Apr 22 2010
Do you have a hard time getting your children to brush their teeth? Is it a battle every time? This task may seem simple enough until you try to pry open your sweet toddler’s mouth when he has determined that he does not want you to brush his teeth that day! If you, like most parents, have experienced some difficulty getting your child to cooperate, then try these helpful, affordable dental hints.
Use Their Interests to Your Advantage
There are many affordable dental products available that are attractive to children – you can find an affordable dental toothbrush and affordable dental toothpaste with almost any character that your child loves to watch on TV. If your child has an emotional bond to Minnie Mouse, then buy her an affordable dental toothbrush shaped like Minnie, and when it is time to brush her teeth, let her know that Minnie Mouse wants to help her get her teeth clean!
Make Brushing Fun
Try to make your child's brushing experience as fun as possible. If your children like to sing, then create a special song to sing to them for the duration of the brushing. A brushing song also gives them a time frame for how long they should be brushing. Many children want to briskly swipe the toothbrush across their teeth once and call it good – having a song or chant ready will help them to be a little more thorough.
Communicate the Benefits of Brushing Your Teeth
Letting your kids know that plaque causes cavities that hurt, make it hard to eat, and make not affordable dental bills a reality might encourage them to be preventive with their dental care for a healthier, more affordable dental future. One 3-year-old’s dentist informed her recently that plaque is like “sugar bugs” that stick to your teeth and cause cavities, resulting in having to see the dentist more often. Sound gross? Well, this little girl is now very excited to brush her teeth twice a day. In fact, she even reminds her mother to brush her teeth sometimes because she does not want those sugar bugs sitting on her teeth! Like most children, she does not want to go to the dentist more than she has to!
Help Them Out
Finally, teach your children the proper techniques of brushing their teeth. Think back to all of the tips your own dentist gave you and share them with your child. Important tips to remember are to brush in a circular motion for at least 30 seconds, and to make sure you reach every tooth surface – every front, back, and side. For those younger, independent children who are determined to brush themselves but do not yet have the eye-hand coordination to do a thorough job, brush their teeth for them after they have had a turn.
Now it is time to take these helpful hints and conquer the task of teaching your children how to brush their teeth. Whether they fully understand now or not, your kids will be thankful to you later for your affordable dental investment that will pay off in both less visits to the dentist and in their long-term dental health. Once you have mastered teaching your kids to brush, you can take on the more daunting job of getting your kids to floss!
For more tips about affordable dental care for your children, see this article.
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