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Here are some tips to encourage your children to make sure they are brushing properly two times a day.<\/p>\r\n
Dentist Visit Do you ever wonder whether your children have good oral hygiene habits? Do you know that their habits could be better? Looking for some ideas to help them improve? First things first. Why is children\u2019s oral health so important? I mean, these are baby teeth that are just going to fall out anyway, right? Wrong. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,12],"tags":[15,22,16,13,20,19,14,18,17,21],"class_list":["post-45","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dental-health","category-pediatric-dentistry","tag-dental-care","tag-dental-health","tag-dental-hygiene","tag-oral-care","tag-oral-health-for-children","tag-oral-health-tips","tag-oral-hygiene","tag-pediatric-dentistry","tag-pediatric-oral-health","tag-toothbrushing"],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/strong>If they have not been already, bring them for a visit to their dentist. Kids should have their first dental exam by the time they get their first tooth in, and then regularly every 6 months thereafter. Whoops! You haven\u2019t done this? Don\u2019t fret if they haven\u2019t been for a visit quite yet. Just give us a call and we\u2019ll get you set up. It\u2019s never too late to start. We love teaching kids about caring for their teeth!\u00a0
Teach<\/strong>
If they are old enough to understand, explain to them why brushing is important. Tooth decay occurs when food sits in the mouth and mixes with saliva. The combination of tiny particles and spit form bacteria that causes gum disease and tooth decay (or, cavities). In our house we call them \u201csugar bugs\u201d. We have to brush the \u201csugar bugs\u201d away so they don\u2019t eat holes in our teeth.
Fun Tools and Supplies<\/strong>
On your next trip to the store, take a stroll with your kiddo down the oral care aisle. Let them pick out a new toothbrush, flavored toothpaste, and flossers that they\u2019ll be excited to take home and use. There are so many fun colors, characters, and flavors on the market that you\u2019re sure to find some winners! If you\u2019re feeling especially fancy, you might even go for an electric spin brush, a brush with lights, or a timer. It won\u2019t be surprising if they swallow some toothpaste, so giving them a small amount to start is a good idea. Don\u2019t worry, toothpaste manufacturers have thought about this and those special kid pastes are specially formulated to not cause any harm if swallowed.
Make it Fun <\/strong>
There are so many cute, fun, and educational videos available on YouTube to show your children about oral care. You\u2019ll probably even find some real catchy songs that your kiddos can sing over and over when it\u2019s time to brush (you\u2019re welcome!). Additionally, the library or Amazon have a good deal of books on the subject as well. A fave in our house is Clarabella’s Teeth<\/em> by An Vrombaut. It\u2019s about a crocodile who spends all day brushing that giant mouth of teeth!
Rewards<\/strong>
Who doesn\u2019t like earning a reward? You can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish with this. Pinterest has a plethora of reward charts if you need some inspiration. But, you get the general idea \u2013 set a goal, earn a reward when the goal is reached.
We hope some of these tried-and-true tips will help to get your children excited about caring for their teeth. Hopefully, they will help to take some of your worry away too!
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