How to make oral hygiene fun for children?

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How to make oral hygiene fun for children?

Last Updated on October 1, 2018

So it is time you familiarize your child with a pediatric dentist, but you are scared how he will react. You are finding ways to break it to him in a nice way, but you don’t know how to. We are here to give you a guide that helps you make dental hygiene fun for children. It is a way that helps you to educate your child about oral care and who dentists are. Once they are okay with the total idea, you can bring him to the doctor’s chamber.

You might have never imagined that brushing, flossing or visiting the dentist could be fun. You can actually make this a possibility and help the child take good care of oral health. Your child will not only have a great smile, but he will also have habits for a lifetime! Check out some of the coolest ideas to help this work.

     1. Brushing together

To make your child interested in oral care easily, you can start brushing and flossing together. Since children mimic all that parents do, it will be an easy way to make him compete with you. Show your child your brushing technique and ask him to see if could copy you. When your child tries to follow you, he takes it as a fun challenge and not as a task.

You can also try this with flossing, but the kid might be too small to floss on his own. You can also tell him to try saying his favorite rhyme while he is brushing. It might turn out to be hilarious because he can barely speak without spilling!

     2. Buy a special brush

There are several toothbrushes filled with superhero prints or of cartoon characters. You can find a special brush that interests him to use it every day. You can also try out colors as vibrancy attracts them. Make sure the toothbrush has soft bristles and is made for children only.

     3. Special toothpaste

Children have an amusing version of every object – even toothpaste. If your 6-year-old doesn’t want to brush, you must buy toothpaste that makes him look forward to it every morning. There are many kinds of toothpaste that come with fruit flavors that children like all the more.

     4. Track time

The Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics supports the fact that everyone must brush for at least two minutes and twice daily. To know that your child is brushing for a long time, you can use a sand-timer. Buy a timer that pours sand from one side to the other for two minutes. Let your child flip the timer and start brushing. Tell him if he stops before they he loses the game.

     5. Read out to them

Look for books in the library that gives children oral care tips. These books are created for kids and even they can read and find out what it has to say. None-the-less, you can read it out to them to make them aware and ensure of attentiveness.

You can also look for videos online that talk about dental care. It is a good way to familiarize the child with a pediatric dentist.

     6. Give him rewards

If your child obeys you and brushes twice every day, you can give him rewards and appreciate his efforts. His favorite snacks might be the ideal rewards so a little piece of chocolate will not do much harm. It will help the child understand that he is doing a good thing and following it further will get me more rewards.

     7. Make him aware of changes

Once your child is over six years old, his milk teeth will start shaking. Your child can find this scary. You need to tell him that these teeth will fall and permanent ones would grow. Ask him not to touch the shaky teeth and let them fall off naturally. Help him eat the right kind of food when his teeth start falling. Make sure you meet a pediatric dentist when you see such symptoms.

     8. Visit the pediatric dentist

Once your child knows about a pediatric dentist, tell him that you will take him to a good doctor. He might be scared at the beginning so you need to further explain how the dentist will take care of him. Tell him that you will be by his side to support and take care.

Ideally, parents should take their children to a pediatric dentist within six to twelve months of their age. It helps the dentists see if the child is having proper growth of the primary teeth. Your doctor can give you some tips that you didn’t know till now. It will help you keep a better look at the child’s oral care. You will also be able to educate him better and cut down the fear of meeting dentists.