In our last blog post, Dr. Sachs highlighted some reasons why we need to teach our kids good dental health habits. One of the best habits we can teach our children, is to brush and floss twice per day. However, it is sometimes challenging to get them to brush twice per day, and for two minutes at a time.
Dr. Sachs loves the children she treats, and wants to make sure that their teeth, and all kids’ teeth, remain healthy. Due to this, Dr. Sachs wants to offer several tips that will help you get your children to brush more often and for longer periods of time.
Create a brushing schedule
Fitting brushing into your child’s daily routine is critical. If your child goes through a routine before they go to school and/or bed, include brushing in the schedule. As time passes, brushing in the morning and before bed will become a habit (it takes approximately 21 days to form a habit).
Use music
Children often fall in love with a catchy tune. Designating a song that your child loves for brushing time can make brushing much more appealing. Imagine if every time they brush, your child knows they get to listen to one of their favorite songs. This will not only help your child brush more often, but will hopefully help them brush for two minutes as they get caught up in listening to the song.
Get your child an electric toothbrush
Brushing is a mundane task that your child gets bored with (hence, why they usually brush for about 15 seconds). If you buy your child an electric toothbrush, it will make brushing a little more fun as they get to use something that is powered. This will hopefully lead them to brush for longer periods of time. In addition to this, an electric toothbrush will help to make up for poor brushing form.
While all of the above tips will help your child brush more often, please make sure that you are supervising your children when they brush. When they complete their brushing, you should brush the spots of the mouth that they are likely to miss: the tongue, molars, and top of the mouth.