Make Brushing “Fun” for Your Kids

Tips for Making Oral Hygiene Fun

Both children and adults sometimes find the chore of brushing and caring for their teeth to be boring and mundane. While brushing and flossing is not the most exciting thing on the planet, it is vitally important to perform these tasks in order to keep teeth and gums in the best of health. While adults understand the importance of oral hygiene and will perform these tasks, children often struggle with understanding and engaging in proper brushing and flossing on a daily basis.

Get New Equipment

New things are exciting and just like adults may be more motivated to work out with a new outfit or sneakers, children may be more motivated to brush with a fancy, new toothbrush and dental floss. Companies that make toothbrushes and other oral hygiene items have a slew of updated designs for their toothbrushes and some even include children’s favorite movie and television characters. Make buying new toothbrushes an exciting experience. You can also give your children some options and let them choose their own brush to get them move involved.

Make Brushing a Contest

Many children are motivated by rewards, so using this logic to get them to practice oral hygiene is a great way to make it part of their routine. Talk to children about what they may like as a prize, such as a special meal, new toy, day out or whatever it may be, and challenge them to complete brushing and flossing twice a day for a certain number of days to earn it. You can even make the experience more interactive with a tracking chart – every time they brush and floss they get a check mark on the board and are one day closer to earning their prize!

Change the Routine

We most often brush our teeth first thing in the morning and then right before we go to bed and we usually brush before we floss. For children, doing this routine over and over again may lead them to get bored and not want to practice oral hygiene. Try switching up the routine, like flossing before brushing or brushing during different times of the day to keep the routine exciting. This may help to keep their interest and keep their teeth clean.

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