Healthy Brushing Habits at Home

Healthy Brushing Habits

If you’ve ever experienced the hassle of convincing your children to brush their teeth twice a day, you wouldn’t be the only one. Encouraging your children to brush twice daily has proven to be a difficult challenge for several parents. Considering this, it’s no surprise that nearly half of all American children experience some form of tooth decay between the ages of 2 and 11. This is why it’s imperative to establish these healthy brushing habits as early as possible.

As many parents know, however, this is no easy task. Most chores often prove to be a challenge for most children. This is why most children will likely need some extra motivation to commit to brushing their teeth regularly. Below you’ll find some tips that you can utilize to ease your children into these healthy habits more successfully.

Create a Fun Brushing Experience: Many children find it much easier to participate in tasks such as brushing their teeth if framed in a more fun way. For example, creating a game tailored around your children brushing their teeth can be particularly effective. Race them to the bathroom where their toothbrush is, or act as though you’re unfamiliar with a toothbrush and ask them to show you how to brush their teeth. Establishing a way to make the task more fun is your priority.

Family Brushing Time: Alternatively, if your children don’t respond well to making the task more fun, establish a family brushing routine altogether. Children often love mimicking their parents, so setting up these routine times for the whole family to brush together is a great way to ensure your children are brushing twice daily.

Allow Children to Make Toothbrush Choices: There have been several advancements in what types of toothbrushes are offered nowadays, so allow your child to choose one that makes them feel most comfortable. Whether that be a singing toothbrush or a toothbrush that displays their favorite cartoon character, this choice can be enough to motivate them to brush more frequently and consistently.

Positive Attitude: Positive reinforcement goes a long way in helping establish a long-term understanding of good oral hygiene. Encourage your child as they continue to brush their teeth, and perhaps offer some reward if they’re able to brush twice daily for a week straight, and then extend that period to a month straight. Before you know it, your child will brush their teeth much more consistently.

If these tips aren’t enough, and your children struggle with their visits to their dentist’s office, remind them that if they were to establish these healthy habits early there would be far fewer dentist visits. For more information on how to establish these habits in your children, check out the accompanying infographic below. Courtesy of Sycamore Hills Dentistry.

Healthy Brushing Habits at Home