Brushing and Flossing Techniques for Kids: Making Dental Care Fun

Make oral hygiene fun for kids.

The Toothbrush Battle

We’ve heard it a thousand times before—brush your teeth! Keeping up with your daily oral hygiene is one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay. The thing is, when we try to explain this to our children, they often don’t listen. Let’s face it, they don’t really care. After all, if it’s interrupting their play, it’s not worth their time. At least that’s what they think.

So, to combat the toothbrush battle, it’s time to make oral hygiene fun.

Brushing Techniques

First things first, it’s important to brush up on your brushing techniques and start brushing your child’s teeth at a young age. Starting the habits young does a lot to set those lifelong habits into motion. However, sometimes, even with brushing their teeth from the time the very first one pops through the gums, kids go through a phase where they fight it every step of the way.

Flossing Techniques

When it comes to taking care of a little one’s teeth, flossing is often overlooked. After all, how are you supposed to get a piece of tooth floss between the tiny teeth of a wanna-be piranha? Just like with brushing, it’s important to start flossing their teeth at a young age. This way they get used to the sensations and know what you’re doing whenever you get the floss out of the drawer.

But when do you start? The general rule is to start flossing your kiddo’s teeth whenever they have two next to each other. You can use a small piece of floss, or get one of those disposable flossers to quickly get between those little teeth.

Engaging Kids in Dental Care

Humans have been telling stories for as long as we have been around. The power of storytelling hasn’t diminished one bit.

Do you have a little one with an active imagination? It’s time to put that mind to work. For example, you can pretend there are monsters on those teeth, and the toothbrush is the knight trying to save the kingdom. You can even have your little ones add to the story with each brushing session. Of course, don’t let your own creativity skyrocket to the point you give your little ones nightmares, but there’s really no limit to where these stories can go!

For some kids, educating them on their teeth is the trick. Start by teaching them 10 fun facts about dentistry, and be sure to let them know about the connection between chewing gum and the Alamo! You can also find many different videos online to help you teach your little ones the ins and outs of dentistry. One suggestion is this cute animated video that teaches your kiddos all the basics!

For toddlers, creating silly songs about brushing their teeth is a great way to get them excited about it. Don’t be afraid to be crazy with it! Also, you can’t forget to add a silly dance. See if they can add a dance move after you finish a section of their teeth!

Games are another great option to get children interested in brushing their teeth. This can be as easy as using a color-changing toothpaste, or as advanced as having them brush until their favorite song is done. If they are old enough, you can even have them copy you as you brush your own teeth. If you go for this option, be sure they are actually able to clean their teeth on their own!

Establishing an Oral Hygiene Routine

Life can be crazy. Whether you have multiple little ones pushing all your buttons throughout the day, or you have a busy schedule running from work to all of the after-school events, sometimes parts of the evening routine get forgotten. Unfortunately, one of these things is often brushing the kids’ teeth.

To make sure you get their teeth brushed every morning and night, get out that sticker chart! Of course, you can’t forget to add flossing to the chart. After all, more stickers equals more fun.

To make the chart just a little more fun, have your little ones decorate it. Choose markers, stickers, or even glitter, and let them at it. Letting them place a sticker on the chart each time will help both of you remember what needs to be done. Trust us, if there’s something they enjoy, they won’t let you forget it!

Lifelong Habits

Creating lifelong habits isn’t always easy. Sometimes it seems that as soon as you get your little ones in a routine, they go on strike. Hold strong and keep going! Get creative, make stories to go along with the tooth brushing session, create those sticker charts, and teach them all you can about their teeth. Your patience will be worth it!

There’s one other lifelong habit you can’t forget, and that is visiting us for regular cleanings! This way, we can keep an eye on those little teeth and make sure they are coming in properly, and that there aren’t any underlying issues. Need to get it on the calendar? You can request an appointment in just a few clicks!