Brushing our teeth isn’t always the most entertaining part of a daily routine, so it’s not hard to understand just why kids might put up such a fight come brush time.
While nice tasting toothpaste might seem like it should be enough, this isn’t always the case and the fight with our kids alone can have us searching for a dentist near Finchley who might be able to do the encouraging for us.
However, getting your kids to take care of their teeth is not as difficult as you might expect and we’ve put together a quick guide to help you get started.
Pick Out A Fun Brush
Give your children independence by letting them pick their own brush. Nowadays, there are countless toothbrushes, both electric and manual, that are covered in fun colors and shapes, popular characters and even ones that play songs for the two-minute brushing duration.
By letting your children choose their own fun brush, you can give them a sense of control over their own routine, and encourage them to actually look forward to brushing time so they can use their own unique toothbrush!
Pair this with nicer tasting toothpaste and there’ll be nothing stopping your kids from scrubbing.
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Explain Why They’re Brushing Their Teeth
Kids are curious and one thing they’re undoubtedly going to be curious about at some point in their life is exactly why we have to brush our teeth and this often extends way beyond the generic “to clean them” explanation.
Don’t be scared to go into a little bit of detail when it comes to explaining the importance of brushing to your children.
You don’t have to be technical about it. Simply explain that food is easily caught between their teeth and that brushing helps to clean and keep their teeth lovely and white!
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Brush Your Teeth Together
If you really want to encourage your kids to brush their teeth, why not try and do the activity together? It may mean changing your own routine somewhat, but by turning brush time into a family event, you could see their willingness skyrocket.
If they see that you’re brushing too, the ‘mean activity’ that you were making them do suddenly seems a lot more fun!
Related: 5 Signs Your Child Will Need Braces in the Future
Build A Reward System
Giving your kids a reward every time they brush their teeth might be a bit of overkill, but by building up a system, this can certainly make a difference.
If your child has brushed every day, twice a day for an entire week, treat them or reward them in some way.
Maybe you could buy them a small present, or an edible treat. If they keep brushing for two weeks, or even a month, go on a day trip.
By offering these rewards, you can encourage your children to take control of their own routine with ease.
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Use Apps
While not every parent is willing to break out the technology at bedtime for their kids, there are countless apps available on the market today that can help your kids with brush time.
Alternatively, there are dental-related games that they can play during the day to have them looking forward to brushing time!
Timers, games, charts, calendars and more are all available on the app store today, so why not take a look and see if you can find one to suit your child’s interests?
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Building up an oral care routine for your children and encouraging them to stick to it doesn’t have to be an almighty battle every night.
Of course, none of the ideas on this list are foolproof, and the moment you have an overtired little one on your hands, even rewards can’t encourage them!
On a day-to-day basis, however, hopefully, these tips can help you get started – which will you try first?
Caring for a child’s teeth is just as much important as caring for adult teeth. Many children suffer from yellow, rotten cavities, and this causes them to have bad breath and is also extremely painful for the child.