How To Make Brushing Teeth Fun For Your Kids

Brush your teeth everyday, to keep the dentist away.
If a patient cannot clean his teeth, no dentist can clean it for them.

Before the Tooth Fairy makes it to your home, there needs to be a lot of brushing done. To be honest, having a child brush their teeth is not an easy task. It feels like running a sprint.

The only different being that you hold a toothbrush in your hand instead of a baton. But guess who wins the race every time? It’s your child. Every children dread teeth brushing time and will do everything in their power to escape. 

Be it throwing tantrums as well. Since children have milk teeth which fall away quickly, it is necessary to look after their permanent ones. If their habit of not brushing their teeth properly continues even during adulthood, it will end up not only damaging their teeth but even their gums. There’s no going back once the damage has been done. The only way to make brushing teeth fun for your child is to make the process interesting. So let’s see what are the different methods you can try.

1. Set a good example: You know how children are good imitators and often imitate the habits of their closest adults. To encourage your child to brush their teeth, you need to do the same for yourself. Have your children brush their teeth when you are brushing your teeth. Show them how to brush teeth in the right manner. Teach them how to gargle their mouth clean, use a mouthwash and even floss.
2. Let your child practice on you: When you have to use the ultimate tactic of having your child prisoned between your legs, with you forcefully brushing their teeth, it only makes them dread the process more. So for once you can have the tables turned and allow your child to practice brushing teeth on you. When they voluntarily brush your teeth, they will realize the fun hidden behind it. While it might be a tab bit uncomfortable for you, the only benefit that you gain is that your child will soon start brushing their teeth.
3. Give attractive rewards: After constant nagging when your child finally picks up the tooth brush and brushes their teeth, you can reward them to encourage them. But refrain from rewarding them with sweet treats as that will only reverse the entire process of brushing their teeth. You can treat them with their favourite toys, a trip to the zoo or to the amusement park.
4. Introduce a game: To make brushing teeth fun for your kids, introduce a game. One creative trick to encourage brushing is to dream up a story: talk about the imaginary “sugar bugs” that are attacking your child’s mouth. The only way to defeat the sugar bugs is to defend your mouth with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Add some drama to the sugar bug battle and tie a cape around your child so they can become a real superhero fighting the evil sugar bugs.
5. Change the toothpaste: The adult toothpaste can be boring for your child, which is also why they might be refusing to brush their teeth. So change the toothpaste to a kid friendly one. Go shopping with your child and ask them to pick out the toothpaste they desire. Whatever toothpaste they choose, just go along with it. Even buy them an attractive looking toothbrush with soft bristles, which will make them even more curious to start brushing their teeth right away.

Hope the five simple tips help you to get your child get on to brushing their teeth without tantrums and in fact make the entire process a fun act for the child to look forward for every day.