Your Dentist Helps You Motivate Your Kids to Brush!

Toothbrushing isn’t just a habit for grown-ups. It’s important that your children learn how to take care of their teeth — even the ones that are going to fall out — so they can have whole-body health. A good oral hygiene routine can spare your children from pain and save you money on costly dental procedures, so you have every reason in the world to help your kids make brushing part of their daily life. Sometimes, though, kids don’t brush. They might forget, or maybe they just think that brushing their teeth is boring or tedious. Your Arlington dentist is here to give you a few ideas on how you can make your kids want to brush their teeth.

Use Educational Materials

Your children need to understand why brushing their teeth is so important, but they might not get the full flavor of the message when you try to explain the nature of cavities to them. Go online and look for videos that center on oral hygiene for children. For example, the Dr. Rabbit and Dr. Brushwell series from Colgate has some cool animated videos that your kids might love.

On the other hand, maybe you want to motivate your children with a bit of healthy fear. Then, you could look for photos or videos online that give a graphic depiction of some of the bad things that can happen when people neglect brushing. One look at a mouth full of severely discolored or rotting teeth might be all your kids need to get that toothbrush in their hand.

Let Your Child Pick Their Tools

A boring toothbrush is one that children are less likely to use. Next time you go to the store to pick up oral hygiene supplies for your family, take your kids along. Let them choose their own brushes. Something with lots of color or that features a favorite TV character might make them fall in love with their tooth cleaning tool.

Also, consider letting your children use an electric toothbrush. Kids love the noise that comes from the motor, and the vibrating bristles feel great on the teeth and gums. A powered brush could clean your kids’ teeth better than a manual one.

Get Your Groove On

Children love music, and you could leverage that love to make oral hygiene easier for your little kids. For example, this song on YouTube is simple, catchy, and educational — and it’s all about brushing teeth. Of course, the music you choose doesn’t have to be about brushing. You could pick any tune that your kids can’t get enough of; just play the song during brushing time, maybe dance a little, and you might be surprised by how your children are suddenly eager to brush.

Helping your kids adopt the habit of brushing is tricky, but you might be able to do it with the above tips. You could also ask your children’s dentist in Arlington for advice on motivating your little ones. After all, you want to keep those precious smiles shining bright!

About the Dentist 

Dr. Stephen Wardlaw is a Texas native who loves to serve his community. He welcomes patients of all ages, so if it’s time for your next family trip to the dentist, or if you just have questions about your kids’ oral health, please contact us at 817-572-5115.

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