5 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids to Take Care of Their Teeth

Teaching your child to maintain their perfect smile is no easy task. Luckily, you do not have to be a family dentist to instill proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Your child’s teeth play a major role in their overall health, so establishing good teeth cleaning habits while they are young is vital. Poor oral health results in more family dental care visits and could affect how their mouth develops, taking them away from the things that matter, such as school and friends.

Preventing dental problems is a lot easier than correcting them. Teaching healthy habits while they are young will prepare them for their adult teeth and create positive habits that will last a lifetime. Between visits to a children's dentist and teaching the importance of mouth care at home, your child will know the best ways to clean their teeth.

How to Take Care of Your Child’s Teeth

Visits to the local dentist office are a core component of mouth health, so just like brushing, the sooner you start, the better—visits to Downey Dental Arts can be scheduled for children as young as 6-months-old.

Early visits are great for gum care and will help permanent teeth come in more easily. Overall, early visits are a great way to help your child get used to sitting in the dentist’s chair.

As their permanent teeth start to emerge, you want to get a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste. Apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and brush morning and night. Then as more of their teeth start to fit together, you will want to get your child in the habit of flossing daily. Teaching them to curve the floss around their teeth will prevent plaque buildup, decreasing their chances of needing a cavity filling.

Finally, to take care of your child’s teeth, you should teach them to avoid sugary snacks. Avoiding sugary snacks, especially after brushing, is not only good for their dental health but is also good for their overall health.

Of course, this does not mean that kids shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy a treat every now and then—just make sure they understand how sugar affects their teeth.

When explaining the negative effects of sugar, you can also explain why they need to brush their teeth twice a day—helping them understand why will give them a reason to brush their teeth, making them more willing.

For resources to educate your child on the importance of dental health check out these activity sheets created by The American Dental Association.

How Do You Make Oral Hygiene Fun for Kids?

For kids, learning about oral hygiene or any form of hygiene is usually the last thing they want to do, especially when it takes time away from playtime. Cavities or not, you want to provide them with a good foundation for dental health, especially since tooth decay is very common in children. Establishing good dental habits early on will help them maintain healthy teeth and gums throughout their life.

5 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids to Take Care of Their Teeth

When it comes to teeth hygiene, the tooth fairy is probably the only thing that will have your kid jumping for joy when it’s time to brush their teeth. The tooth fairy may be the oldest trick in the book, but it is not the only trick. Here are 5 fun ways to teach your kids to take care of their teeth.

1.) Let your child pick their toothbrush

Giving your child some control will make their experience more fun and exciting, especially when they see the overwhelming amount of options in the toothbrush aisle. Then if they discover a toothbrush with their favorite character on it, they will be rushing home to brush their teeth.

The excitement of choosing a toothbrush will get them more engaged and give them a sense of ownership, making them more invested in the task.

Also, it will set a positive tone right from the start making them more inclined to cooperate when it's time to brush their teeth.

2.) Brush your teeth together and make it a fun routine that includes the entire family

Setting a routine will help them form healthy habits and make them more willing to brush their teeth. The task will become something they expect, and if the routine happens to be a fun family affair, your child may even start looking forward to brushing their teeth.

Doing it as a family will set an example. Your child will come to understand that brushing their teeth every day, twice a day, is just something that we all must do to be healthy.

Dedicating that time to connecting as a family will make the mundane act of brushing teeth more fun for you and your child. Plus, your child will learn the proper technique by watching others brush their teeth.

3.) Keep them engaged with small and big rewards

Positive reinforcement can be an incredibly motivating tool, one that may make your child more eager to participate in cleaning their teeth—especially if there are rewards involved.

Every day that your child brushes and flosses their teeth with no issues, they receive a sticker or a small prize. Once they earn a certain number of stickers, then they get to choose a big prize.

Not only will this give your child something to look forward to, but it will also reinforce good teeth cleaning behavior, creating healthy habits.

4.) Turn on their favorite song and set a timer

Make it a fun dance party by turning on their favorite song and setting a timer to help them learn how long they should brush their teeth or choose a song that also serves as a timer.

Giving them something to track, like a song or a timer, will help them concentrate and prevent them from asking how much longer they need to brush, motivating them to brush their teeth for the entire full two minutes. Also, it will give them a sense of how long they should brush their teeth, and the tune and lyrics will make it easy for them to remember.

5.) Make regular dental appointments

Good oral hygiene means brushing and flossing teeth twice a day and visiting a dentist every six months. Here at Downey Dental Arts, we have the skills and compassion to make trips to the dentist easy. Your child will enjoy their visit and leave feeling more motivated to take care of their teeth.

Are You Worried About Having Gum Disease?

The best way to prevent it is to practice good oral hygiene and to visit our Downey dentist office regularly. Our goal is to maximize your dental health and we will do everything we can to prevent the development of gum disease and will treat it properly if it’s already present. We have highly trained and experienced staff well versed in the treatment and prevention of periodontal disease. We also offer flexible appointments to help fit your dental visits into your busy schedule.

At Downey Dental Arts we provide quality child dental care at an affordable price, making it easy for you to take care of your child’s teeth. Give us a call at (562) 445-3363 to schedule an appointment with our family dentist in Downey, CA today.