4 Tips to Encourage Your Child to Brush Their Teeth

There are a lot of stereotypes about things that kids don’t like, like vegetables, bath time, and school, to name a few. Unfortunately, many of them also dislike brushing their teeth. However, your pediatric dentist in Birmingham has some ideas to make brushing teeth more fun for your little one. Here are 4 tips to encourage them to brush more often.

1. Brush Together

More than anything, kids love to copy their parents’ behavior. We see that all the time when they try on Mommy’s and Daddy’s clothes. There’s no reason the same principle can’t be applied to teeth brushing. If your little one sees you brushing twice a day, they’ll want to emulate that. Encourage them to brush at the same time as you. That way it can be a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy together.

2. Let Them Pick Out Their Toothpaste and Brush

“Adult” toothpastes with flavors like mint might not appeal to a young kid. Instead, let them select their favorite flavor, like grape or strawberry. Similarly, they might not want toothbrushes with “boring” plain designs. Next time you take them to the store, stroll through the dental section and let them pick out a kid-friendly brush. Many of them have cartoon characters on them that your child will love. Some of them even play a catchy tune for 2 minutes, which is the recommended time for brushing.

3. Create a Tooth Brushing Chart

It can be fun for your little one to see a record of their progress. Make a calendar with spaces for two check marks a day. Every time they brush their teeth, check off that box. When they reach a whole week or month of brushing twice a day, give them a prize to continue to motivate them.

4. Reward Your Child for Brushing

Whatever your child’s interests are, encourage them to brush more by letting them partake in those activities for longer periods of time if they brush every morning and every night. Just make sure that reward has nothing to do with sweets, otherwise that would defeat the purpose of all that brushing. Let them watch TV or play their favorite game longer if they fill out their brushing chart.

If you have more than one kid, you could always create a friendly competition between siblings. Whoever brushes their teeth the most during a certain period of time gets an additional reward. All in all, rewards for accomplishments will work better than punishments for neglect. Follow these steps to make sure that your little one has fun brushing and that their teeth grow in healthy.

About the Author

Dr. Angelica Rohner has a passion for helping children, so it made sense that she became Board Certified in Pediatric Dentistry and a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. For more tips on how to make dental hygiene more fun for your young one, contact her practice by calling (205) 870-0892.