Good oral hygiene habits should start early in life to ensure that children have healthy teeth and gums. Brushing and flossing are essential for maintaining good oral health, but getting kids to do it can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are many creative ways to make oral care enjoyable for kids. Here are some ideas to help them develop positive oral hygiene habits that will last a lifetime:
 

Let Your Kid Choose

Brushing teeth is often a chore for children, which is why toothbrush manufacturers strive to make them fun. Options for their beloved characters range from movies and television shows to funny shapes, sizes, and colors. Bringing some fun into the dental care experience for your children can be as simple as letting them pick out a toothbrush that they really like. Even toothpaste can be made more exciting with fun additions. You can find sparkles, various colors, and flavors (like bubblegum) for a more entertaining brushing experience

Demonstrate Through Lego Flossing

Pediatric dentists usually suggest that parents should encourage their children to floss from an early age. However, due to the smaller size of their hands, it may be difficult for them to do this correctly. So, parents need to help out with flossing as well. Introducing your toddler to Lego flossing can be a great way to help them understand the concept of dental hygiene. This can also help reduce their fear when it comes to you flossing for them. How to do so is explained below

To simulate the effect of plaque or food stuck in your teeth, you may use two large Lego blocks as teeth and put some play dough in their prongs. Remind your child why flossing is an important part of maintaining dental hygiene. To illustrate the concept to your child, you can use play dough and yarn (floss) to demonstrate how the latter removes bits of the dough from between their teeth — just as it would do in their mouth.
 

Introduce Construction Paper Brushing

Show your kid the correct way of brushing their teeth by making use of yellow construction paper. Cut out a large section shaped like a tooth as an example. Give your little one a white crayon and ask them to color over the yellow area. While they’re doing that, explain how brushing helps remove food and stains from their teeth. Suggest to your kid to cover the whole page with white color. Then, exemplify how brushing has to be thorough. Explain that they need to brush each tooth properly and fully, reaching all corners of their teeth

Provide a Rewards System

It’s always great to reward children for good habits. Why not create a brushing and flossing calendar for them and give them a sticker for each day they do it? Whenever they accumulate a certain amount of stickers, you can provide them with an appropriate reward. Offer them something they love as an incentive. They’ll be more likely to get excited about dental care! This could be a toy, a tasty treat, or even something small like an extra special hug

 

Taking care of your child’s teeth is essential for both their physical and mental well-being. At Pediatric Dental Group in Hawaii, we can help ensure your kid’s smile stays beautiful and healthy all their lives. Call our Honolulu office now at (808) 593-8828 or our Lihue office at (808) 245-2131 for more information.