4 Ways to Teach Your Child About Dental Hygiene

4-ways-to-teach-your-child-about-dental-hygiene

Primary teeth are valuable assets of your child. They play a key role in many important functions, such as holding space for permanent teeth, guiding them into place, biting, chewing, speaking, and appearance.

However, parents can find it challenging to teach children how to properly care for their teeth. When children are very young, they often don’t want to brush their teeth, and they get cranky with their parents as they try to teach them good oral health habits; nevertheless, insisting and achieving the task will ensure the following:

  • The prevention of tooth decay.
  • To lower the risk of gum inflammation and soreness.
  • To eliminate a child’s difficulty to eat or chew.
  • To save both money and time on more serious dental procedures.

If you are struggling with finding fun ways to get your child excited about oral health, we will list four of them below:

1.  Brush Your Teeth With Your Child

Children love to imitate adults, which is why if you brush teeth together, your child may become excited about the process. Also, this will allow you to:

  • See if they are using the toothbrush correctly.
  • Give them specific tips for proper brushing.
  • Establish a fun routine for brushing teeth with them.
  • Spend quality time with them.

2.  A Reward System

What child doesn’t love a reward system? If they do something right, they get a prize! You can create a reward system to congratulate them when they clean their teeth. Besides avoiding complaints and tears when it’s time for brushing, it will help to create a daily habit.

You can choose among delayed or instant rewards, whatever works best for your child. We will explain this in a better way.

Delayed Rewards

The goal is to collect a certain number of small prizes, such as stickers or gold stars; when the kid reaches enough, he or she will get a reward, like a new toy, or a trip to the park. Avoid rewarding them with sweets.

Instant rewards

In this case, choose small instant rewards, such as extra playing time, or their favorite story at bedtime.

3.  A Surprise After a Dental Checkup

You can schedule your dental checkup along with your child’s; visit your family dentist in St. Albert and ensure to:

  • Monitor your child’s teeth for any cavities.
  • Avoid your child’s risk of gum disease.
  • Promote healthier tooth enamel.

After the visit, you can surprise your child with a trip to their favorite restaurant or the park. Do not reward them with sugary foods; instead, you may buy them a new toy.

4.  Read Books With Your Child

Every kid loves storytelling. You can take advantage of this and start making up stories that involve healthcare. You can create stories for them where animals had the brightest smile, thanks to brushing their teeth. Also, you can read fun children’s books that don’t involve healthcare but giving the stories a twist to get them excited about looking after their teeth.

Our dental hygienist in St. Albert recommends the following books to boost children’s enthusiasm for dental hygiene:

  • Ready, set, brush!
  • The Tooth Book
  • Clarabella’s Teeth
  • Pony Brushes His Teeth
  • Brush Your Teeth Please

Visit a dental clinic near you

You may call our dental clinic to set up your family trip to the dentist whenever it is convenient for you. A family dentist and a dental hygienist near you will offer you the best treatment to ensure your smile and your children’s stay healthy and beautiful.

We offer a wide range of family dental procedures to provide you and your family the care you deserve!

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