Use the “Tooth Fairy” to Enforce Good Dental Habits
Encouraging Kids to Practice Proper Oral Hygiene with a Little Help
Like
Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and a number of other fictional
characters from our childhood, the existence of the Tooth Fairy is very
real and tangible to children. The general idea behind the Tooth Fairy
is that when children lose a baby tooth, they place it under their
pillow, on a window sill, or in another designated place and the Tooth
Fairy comes to take the tooth and leaves them money. While the Tooth
Fairy is often used to let children know losing their teeth is okay and a
part of growing up, you can also use this fictional character to
encourage them to practice proper oral hygiene.
Children generally begin losing their teeth around the age of six, so it is important to introduce the idea of the Tooth Fairy to them before they begin this process. When explaining what the Tooth Fairy does, make sure to tell kids that the fairy prefers healthy teeth that are brushed, cleaned, and cared for to teeth that are not. You can also tell children the Tooth Fairy can sense when their teeth are going to come out and will start watching the kids to make sure they are caring for the teeth properly.
When children do start losing their teeth and have their first encounter with the Tooth Fairy, consider giving him or her a special name. Names like Twinkle the Tooth Fairy or Flosser the Tooth Fairy (for those male fairies) are much more exciting and possible more believable than just Tooth Fairy. Have the Tooth Fairy leave the children a special note about how they are doing a good job cleaning and caring for their teeth or, if they are having a hard time with oral hygiene, have the fairy leave them some tips on how to care for their teeth better. Sometimes the advice coming from someone else sticks better.
When considering what kinds of gifts to give to children from the Tooth Fairy, make sure they are healthy gifts. While it may seem easy to give them candy or sweets as a reward, doing this could potentially do more damage to their teeth especially if they are struggling with oral hygiene. Most traditionally, the Tooth Fairy will leave children money, but you can also consider leaving them a new toothbrush, dental floss, a special mouth wash, or toothpaste to reinforce healthy habits.
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