Every parent wants their child to have a beautiful, healthy smile. Along with getting them to eat their vegetables, getting children to develop healthy oral habits is a challenge.
If it isn’t corrected, poor dental hygiene can lead to problems like cavities, tartar build-up, and infections.
As a family practice, we can focus on the unique needs of children to help them have a healthy smile.
If you’re at your wit’s end about getting your kids to care about their oral health, here are a few tips on making it more bearable for everyone.
Why Do Kids Hate Brushing?
Although it’s frustrating when your child may fight you when you’ve tried everything to get them to brush their teeth, understanding why kids avoid it is critical to getting them to respond.
Our kids hate brushing their teeth for a variety of reasons. It could be a need for independence, sensory issues, finding it boring, or another reason.
The important thing is to do your best to understand the situation from your child’s perspective. Doing this may help help you get those clamped jaws to finally open and start working on a beautiful, healthy smile.
Make Oral Hygiene Fun
Many children find toothbrushing to be torturous. Finding ways to make it fun can be helpful. Having a kid-friendly toothbrush on hand is a start, but you can also make toothbrushing more enjoyable by:
- Making it a game
- Trying different flavors & colors of toothpaste
- Creating a reward system
- Using their favorite song while they brush
- And allowing them a degree of autonomy
Making oral hygiene fun can go a long way toward winning the battle.
Model Good Habits
Children often mimic what they see their parents do. If parents are not setting a good example for oral hygiene, children may not have the motivation to do it on their own. Keep up with your routine and let your children see how important having a healthy mouth is to you.
We all have days where brushing may seem like an inconvenience. On those days, find common ground with your children by expressing that just like them, you don’t always want to brush, but you do so anyway.
Allowing them to see you be consistent in your brushing habits can inspire them to take up the task.
Talk to Us
Brushing is only part of having good oral hygiene, and having a family dentist that meets your child’s needs can make a big difference.
At Warr Dental, we can give you personalized guidance on managing your children’s oral health and comprehensive procedures that fit their needs.
Please give our Salt Lake City office a call for a free initial screening at 801-355-5385.