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Parents know that the most important way to promote good oral health and prevent cavities in their children is to make sure the flossing and brushing regiment is done daily and consistently. Many parents struggle with this because kids simply don’t want to - which only becomes harder as they grow up. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can make flossing and brushing fun for your kids, which will keep them consistent in their oral health habits.
Your kids aren’t the first to dread tooth brushing, which is why many toothbrush companies have gone to great lengths to make fun toothbrushes. Some brushes feature famous characters from TV shows and movies, and some have fun shapes, sizes, and colors. Allowing your kids to pick out a toothbrush that they really like can bring some fun into the toothbrushing process.
The same can be said for toothpaste. Some include sparkles, different colors, or different flavors (such as bubblegum) that can contribute to the fun.
If you’re the creative type, you can come up with your own, but some families also find it fun to turn on a song of their child’s choice to play during brushing and flossing. Because a song is usually around three minutes long, this is the typical amount of time the dental regiment takes, which will remind your child of how little time it actually takes to stay on top of their tooth health.
This can be a family song, too. Some kids like it when the entire family brushes together. Let your kids take turns choosing the song, or do family voting on the brushing song of the month.
Children do well when objects are personified - such as the “airplane” bit when feeding them their least favorite food (such as peas or broccoli). The same can be said for your child’s teeth. Imagine that their teeth are all one ‘character,’ or, each of their prominent teeth (such as the front two or bottom four) are characters.
Associating characters with the need to brush will help your child remember that their favorite teeth need to be sparkly clean every night and every morning.
Children also do well when they have the capability of earning something. Connect teeth brushing to their ability to earn a toy, an experience, or a special meal. This can be done with a sticker chart to track progress, so every time they successfully complete their brushing and flossing regiment for the day happily, they earn a sticker.
There are many fun and creative ways to incentivize your kids to take charge of their oral health. Building these habits will serve them and their health for the rest of their lives.
