Make Dental Hygiene Fun for Kids

Encouraging children to maintain good dental hygiene can be challenging during adolescence. To make it fun, start early, incorporate games and music into brushing routines, establish a daily routine, use age-appropriate dental products, and consider electric toothbrushes for thorough cleaning.

For children, it can be easy to establish a healthy dental routine. When they're young, you clean their baby teeth, you teach them to brush and floss, and then when they develop adult teeth, you continue those regular habits. But as they reach adolescence, they might not be as excited about brushing and flossing.

Instead, you can encourage them to stay diligent about good oral health by making it fun. Follow these tips:

Start Young

Children should get used to brushing and flossing their teeth as soon as they begin eating solid food. If a child resists, parents should brush their child's teeth for them until the child is able to do it on their own.

Make brushing and flossing a part of their routine — like right after their morning shower.

Brushing Time Fun Time

Kids should enjoy brushing their teeth. That's why incorporating games, music, and positive reinforcement into your brushing routine can be very effective. Here are some tips for making brushing fun.

• Use a fun toothbrush
• Make brushing into a game.
• Sing a song while brushing.
• Have a dance party.

Make It Routine

When your children see that you brush and floss every day, they'll be more likely to do the same. You can also make it fun by brushing along with them or finding enjoyable music to play while you brush.

Use the Right Products

Of course, kids might not be able to keep up with their adult counterparts when it comes to their dental routine, but that doesn't mean you can't make it easier on them. Using the right products can make it easier for kids to brush, floss, and rinse.

Kids have different dental needs than adults, so it's helpful to use the right tools for the job. For example, kids' toothbrush heads tend to be smaller, which makes it easier for them to reach those hard-to-get spots. Kids' toothbrushes are also usually more colorful, which makes them more fun for kids to use.

Of course, if you want to go the extra mile, you can also get kids' toothpaste in their favorite flavors, like watermelon or bubblegum.

You might also want to consider electric toothbrushes. While manual toothbrushes are easy to use and don't require batteries, electric toothbrushes have rotating or oscillating heads and can clean teeth more thoroughly. With electric toothbrushes, you can encourage kids to brush for two minutes each time they brush.

To learn more about Little Bytes Pediatric Dentistry, Palo Alto, or to schedule an appointment to meet our dentists and team, call us at (650) 322-9837.