How to Help Kids Brush Their Teeth
Get children into a proper oral hygiene routine early, and they will reap the benefits into adulthood. The trick is to make tooth brushing a fun activity so that children will be keen to do it twice a day. You can build tooth brushing into a child's bedtime preparations, like bathing. When kids are young, you will have to show them exactly how to brush. Soon they will do it automatically.
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Instructions
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Show the child how to brush teeth properly by demonstrating the technique on a favorite doll or teddy bear. The child can attempt to clean your teeth, too, says saveyoursmile.com. You can show him how to brush effectively by using a regular gentle, circular motion on all his teeth, including the hard-to-reach back ones. Demonstrate that he should place the toothbrush alongside the teeth, and place the bristles at roughly a 45-degree angle to the gum line, say the American Dental Association and Colgate. Encourage the child to have a system where he starts with one particular tooth and moves around the mouth, brushing one tooth at a time. He should brush all the surfaces of each tooth. Encourage him to brush his tongue, too, and rinse his mouth with water.
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Turn tooth brushing into a game or competition. If you have more than one child, compare their teeth at the end of a session and "judge" whose teeth are cleaner. You can also use a timer and see which child's teeth are cleaner when the buzzer goes off. Another game is to to give the child a "disclosing tablet" to chew. After about 30 seconds, plaque turns a bright color, showing you and your child the areas the child has missed, says the Bupa website. If the child is reluctant to brush, make a big show of Mom and Dad brushing their teeth. Show the child that you are having fun, and laugh a lot.
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Encourage the child to look in the mirror while she brushes so that she can see what she is doing. A timer will help her stick to two or three minutes of brushing---the average length of a pop song---as it is easy to underestimate how long she needs.
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Tips & Warnings
Encourage your child to floss as well as brush as this will help remove bits of food caught between the teeth as well as plaque. Children should be able to floss themselves around age 9.
Tell your child not to swallow the toothpaste as this can lead to spots forming on the teeth.
References
- Photo Credit little boy image by pershing from Fotolia.com
