Tips: How to Get Children to Brush and Floss Their Teeth.
Getting your children to brush their teeth may be difficult, but it’s important they learn good dental hygiene habits early in life.
Taking care of their teeth should be an exciting experience, not something they dread. Here are a few tips to encourage a positive attitude about daily brushing and flossing:
Fun toothbrushes. Colorful toothbrushes with their favorite TV characters will be seen as more of a toy than a hygiene tool. Fresh and fun toothbrushes will get them excited and make them feel special.
Rewards chart. Put a sticker on a chart every day your children brush their teeth without giving you trouble. When the chart reaches a certain amount of stickers, give them some type of reward.
Fun flavors. As an adult, the flavor of your toothpaste may not make much of a difference to you, but it usually makes a big difference to a child. Most toothpastes are available in mint, and some are available in fun flavors like fruit or even bubblegum.
Flossing tools. There are a lot of fun flossing tools available now that children love to use. These colorful contraptions get them excited about cleaning plaque off their teeth (whether they know that’s what they’re doing or not). If your children go crazy for flossing tools, make a rule that they have to brush their teeth first.
Set an example. Make sure your children see you brushing and flossing twice every day. (Because you do, right?) Show off your beautiful, clean teeth, and talk about how great you feel about yourself when your teeth are clean.
Try disclosing tablets. These chewable tablets use vegetable dye to temporarily turn plaque red. Make it a game to brush away all of the red before bedtime! These tablets can be found at local drugstores.
Find a nice dentist with a gentle touch. Children will feel better about dental hygiene when they see a dentist who is personable and gentle. Imagine how you would feel if a mystery person was rough while examining your teeth. You’d want nothing to do with it!
At Vacendak Dentistry, we try to make you feel at home from the moment you walk in our door.
Give us a call at 757-609-3510 to schedule a cleaning now.
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