April 7, 2012

10 Tips for Teaching Kids to Care for their Teeth


Proper dental hygiene is such an important part in maintaining healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime, and learning these good habits early on is crucial. When kids make brushing and flossing part of their daily routine it will become second nature by the time they reach adulthood. On the other hand, people who don’t learn proper dental care as children have a difficult time correcting bad habits later on. Since this is not something that comes naturally it needs to be taught, and some children aren’t going to be willing pupils. Here are 10 tips for teaching reluctant kids to care for their teeth.


1.        Lead by example – Kids love to emulate their parents, so leading by example is a must. Let your children watch you brush and floss and explain to them what you’re doing and why. They’ll love to feel like they’re able to something just like the grown-ups do.
2.        Start early – Children won’t be able to brush their teeth by themselves until the ages of 3 or 4, so you’ll have to do it for them until then. This will give them time to get used to the idea that this is a part of a normal daily routine and they’ll look forward to when they can do it on their own.
3.        Make it fun – Try to make brushing and flossing a fun activity and something to look forward to instead of just a chore. You can invent little games to play and be excited about it when they do a good job.
4.        Rewards – Be sure to reward kids when they achieve goals like brushing by themselves for the first time or not having to be reminded. Give them an extra bedtime story or let them stay up another 15 minutes to prove how grown-up they are.
5.        Plaque monsters – You can invent stories to help explain what happens if they don’t take care of their teeth. Tell them that after they eat food invisible plaque monsters are hiding in their teeth and they need to be brushed and flossed away.
6.        Give them choices – Get children involved in the dental hygiene process by giving them choices. Let them pick out their own toothbrushes and toothpaste, and keep a variety on hand so they don’t get bored. Floss and mouthwash even come in different fun colors and flavors that they can choose from.
7.        Music – It can be difficult to get kids to brush long enough, so music can help. Play their favorite song and tell them to keep brushing until the music stops. Pretty soon they’ll be brushing and flossing to the rhythm of the beat.
8.       Egg trick – Children have a hard time grasping the concept of why it’s so important to care for their teeth. Explain how a hard boiled egg is like a tooth because the hard shell is like enamel. Place the egg in vinegar for 2 days and let them see how the shell has softened and explain that’s what happens to teeth with acid and bacteria in the mouth.
9.        Apple cavities – Another experiment that helps explain cavities can be done with an apple. Cut a small chunk out of an apple and tell the kids it’s just like a cavity in a tooth. Set the apple somewhere so they can observe what happens over time. This will give them a visual example of how cavities rot the teeth just like the apple.
10.     Start off right – Make sure kids learn how to brush and floss properly from the very beginning and correct them until they get it right. Muscle memory will keep them doing it correctly for a lifetime instead of having to relearn later and try to break bad habits.

Regular visits to the dentist will help to reinforce what you teach your children at home. The kids are more likely to listen to the dentist and hygienist as authorities while they go over proper dental care techniques. These tips should help get your children off to a good start when it comes to caring for their teeth. Putting in the time and effort from the beginning will pay big dividends down the road for both your children’s teeth and your pocketbook.


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18 Comments:

At April 9, 2012 at 4:19 AM , Blogger Peter said...

This blog is very nice and informative!
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At April 9, 2012 at 6:50 AM , Anonymous Ethan Pew said...

Providing your child with a good oral health routine at a young age will help guarantee that they will continuously have healthy teeth and gums. Children’s gums are more sensitive than that of their adult counterparts; running a damp washcloth over the gums can help. That is, if they still find it uncomfortable to use a toothbrush. Some children actually feel like that.

 
At April 10, 2012 at 6:26 AM , Blogger Glenn S. said...

thank you for sharing your thoughts, Ethan. Your tip is very useful.

 
At January 5, 2014 at 7:48 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

I 100% agree with everything on this list, and so does my Chandler dentist. As the saying goes children takes from their parent's habit. If the Parents are implementing good hygiene, and with that proper oral health, to their children's day-to-day activities then their children are bound to have a habit that will be hard to shake off.

 
At February 16, 2015 at 2:58 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Excellent post.. Thanks for sharing the information with us...

Betty
Pediatric Dentist in Mumbai

 
At February 19, 2015 at 7:23 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tips, very important to teach your children these healthy habit.
i like your way to give us best knowledge .


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At March 5, 2015 at 2:37 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

I really love the example of an apple cavity! My son learns best by visual representations and example! I don't want him to have to experience a cavity to learn and so cutting into the apple will be perfect. I also have him brush his teeth at the same time as me every night. This works well for both of us, for me it makes sure I don't eat the rest of the night and he gets to watch his mom brush her teeth too!

 
At May 7, 2015 at 4:13 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

My wife and I are scared we are not teaching our kids proper teeth care. We might just have to try a few of these tricks, and see if they work for us. Using the "plaque monster" idea is more than likely going to work on our 3 year old, but I'm not so sure for the 10 year old. Any suggestions on what to do to help him learn better teeth care? http://www.grins4kids.com

 
At May 21, 2015 at 4:49 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Ideally, every person must visit an oral health care centre at periodic intervals to be sure of one’s oral hygiene. In present times we simply avoid doing so due to one reason or another, which is indeed very risky. Dental implants india

 
At August 19, 2015 at 12:43 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At November 17, 2015 at 11:16 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing such amazing tips. Also with this it is important to take your child for regular dental check-ups to ensure you maintain complete oral care of your child.

 
At November 8, 2016 at 6:31 AM , Blogger kidzonedental said...

Excellent blog. really helpful content.We also offer Pediatric dentistry at KIDZONE
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At April 23, 2018 at 4:43 AM , Blogger Unknown said...



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At July 29, 2018 at 4:00 AM , Blogger jhon said...

t it was so cute when they were able to talk you into reading just one more book at bedtime, or just one more cookie for dessert, or just one more episode of Sesame Street.click here

 
At July 29, 2018 at 11:04 PM , Blogger nancy john said...

Growing up I never had a cavity. Not one. And (this is kinda disgusting) I never brushed my teeth, and I certainly never flossed. And even though that sounds disgusting, I never had bad breath.

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At August 24, 2018 at 1:16 AM , Blogger Makeet said...

Last year I got a free entry to dental health awareness seminar by a professional Dentist based in Berlin, Connecticut and learnt following things to do in order to maintain good dental health

Drink water
Keep your mouth hydrated by drinking water all day. This helps eliminate the bacteria that produce the plaque - and can even improve your breath.

Choose tap water
Tap water with fluoride strengthens your enamel, which makes your teeth more resistant to decay .

Avoid carbonated drinks
The acid in carbonated beverages can wear out the enamel of your teeth.

Use sorbet
If you drink acidic drinks, reduce the contact with your teeth by using a straw and finishing the drink quickly, instead of drinking it slowly for a long time.

Drink tea
Tea contains compounds that inhibit bacteria, which decreases the possibility of tooth decay and gum disease. Just remember: do not add sugar!

 
At February 20, 2019 at 10:52 PM , Blogger mine az said...

There are a lot of dental issues that can cause some serious problems to your personality. I know a person who got his teeth rotten after some age so now I am taking care of my dental health and this is why I regularly go to the expert dentist Torrance for the checkups. Even I follow his suggestions too to take care of my teeth.

 
At October 27, 2020 at 3:11 AM , Blogger Taylorstreetdental said...

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