Happy New Year! Here’s to a much less catastrophic year for everyone in 2021! We hope your celebrations were safe, and we hope you had plenty of time to relax and reflect on improvements you might like to make in the New Year. In this post, we’re going to share some good suggestions for all the parents with younger children that would like to improve their kids’ brushing and flossing habits.
If your kids are less than enthusiastic about staying on top of their brushing and flossing each day, here are five simple tips to help you kick their oral hygiene routine up a notch in 2021.
Bribe Your Kid with Rewards
When nothing else seems to work, try establishing a simple reward system. A cheap calendar and book of stickers can work wonders toward establishing better daily brushing and flossing routines. When your little one has earned enough stickers, you can even reward them with mutually beneficial gifts like books or a new toothbrush.
Let Your Kid Pick Out an Extra Book at Bedtime
After many years of practicing family dentistry, we’re keenly aware that not brushing before bedtime is often the gap that causes many kids’ cavities and cases of gum disease. If you read to your kids before bedtime, let them pick out an extra book if they show you they have minty fresh breath before bedtime.
Brush and Floss Together
After many years of practicing family dentistry, we’re also keenly aware that many kids’ parents don’t brush and floss nearly as often as they should. To improve your oral health and your kids’ oral health, make it part of your daily routine to brush and floss together.
Make Them Brush Their Teeth to Short Songs
The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day. Many little kids, however, only brush about half this time. To increase the length of time your kids brush their teeth, find a few short songs about 2 minutes in length to play on your phone. This will give your littles a better sense of how long they should be spending brushing.
Let Them Pick from a Selection of Toothbrushes or Toothpastes
Kids, especially toddlers, LOVE making choices. To help them feel more ownership over their brushing and flossing, maybe pick up a few extra toothbrushes or a few flavors of toothpaste and let your kid choose which one they want when they brush and floss. They’ll have fun making decisions and they’ll gain some confidence and a greater sense of independence by doing so.
Thanks for Reading!
Here is to great oral health, peace, and prosperity to all our readers and patients in 2021! If you enjoy our blog, please drop by and like our Facebook page.
If you have questions or if you’d like to make an appointment, please contact our dental practice in Turlock.