Dental Games for Kids

Good oral hygiene does more than give you pearly white teeth. Poor oral health can lead to gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease. Kids are often resistant to brushing their teeth and going to the dentist can leave some children panic-stricken. By making dental care a fun game or a hands-on learning opportunity, kids will hopefully be less scared and resistant to taking care of their teeth and visiting the dentist.

Teaching Good Oral Hygiene

Playing games can help encourage children to have better oral hygiene. Teach children to brush long enough by having them choose a favorite song each morning to listen to while brushing. You can load your iPod or MP3 player with some of their best loved music or put a CD player in the bathroom. Have children brush until the song is over. Children who are old enough to use mouthwash can have contests to see who can go the longest without spitting out the mouthwash. Just be sure to use an alcohol-free variety that is designed for kids in case they accidentally swallow.

Homemade Toothpaste

Kids love to create things that they can actually use. Make cleaning their teeth more fun by allowing them to make their own toothpaste. There are many recipes for homemade toothpaste (see References) and it may take some experimenting to find a recipe your kids like. Try gathering up four or five different recipes, creating all of them and then having a "taste test" session to try them all out. Allow your children to choose their favorite. Then each child can make and use his own toothpaste.

Pretend Play---Dentist

Young children are often scared of the unknown. Going to the dentist can be very scary for a child who is unsure of what will happen. Use a toy doctor's kit and a toothbrush to teach children what will happen when they go to the dentist. First have one child sit in a comfortable, reclining chair. Tuck paper towel into her shirt and then use the toothbrush and toy doctor kit to show her what to expect at the dentist. If you have more than one child, give each one a turn to be the patient. After showing them what to expect, allow the kids to take turns being the dentist. Pretend play offers children a great opportunity to work out their fears and prepare them for what they will see and experience at the dentist.

Dental Trivia

Quiz kids on their dental knowledge. Allow them to help you create a simple game board out of a piece of cardstock. Use coins or pieces from any other board game to move along your board. Ask the kids questions about oral hygiene, the dentist's office, or teeth in general. You can prepare questions ahead of time or sit opposite the children at a table with your laptop open and look up information to ask them (see References for a link to facts about oral health to get started).

Dental Care Chart

Encourage good oral hygiene by creating a chart for your children to record their oral care habits. You can award points for things such as brushing after each meal, asking for water instead of a sugary drink at dinner or rinsing with mouthwash. Give kids a goal to reach a certain amount of points within a specified time frame with a reward for each child who meets this goal and an even bigger reward if all of your children reach the goal. For example, each child who earns 50 points in a month can spend $5 on a new toy, but if all three children reach their 50-point goal, then the family will go out for a special dinner or to a park or zoo.

References

• Toothpaste Recipe
• More Recipes
• Facts on Oral Health