Tips on Brushing Children's Teeth

Do you have a child that doesn't like to brush their teeth?  You are not alone. Here are a few tips that may help:

·      Sticker charts – google sticker charts for brushing teeth – some of the kids shows offer online charts so you could pick their favorite character.

·      Make up a silly song about brushing teeth.

·      You can pretend you are looking for the remains of dinner “let’s see how much chicken you have left in your mouth from dinner” and then make a big deal out of what you do pull out.

·      Compete on who can open their mouth the widest while brushing.

·      Brush with your kids and then switch and let them brush yours too.  Interesting as you get to experience from their perspective too.

·      There is a kids Spinbrush on the market that allows you to put stickers on it.  They get to decorate their own brush.  So after you brush they get to put the sticker on it.

·      Using hand flossers seems easier than the string of floss when you are doing someone else.  They can pick the flosser and practice on their own too.

·      Another idea is to look up pictures of sugar bugs on the computer and pictures of yucky cavities and share with your children.

·      There are a ton of video clips on line about cavities that are silly but educational.  You can google some and preview them to show your kids.  We have one cute Japanese video on tooth brushing on our website at http://mytuckerdentist.com/japanese-info.html.    It is fun no matter what language you speak.  Your kids may want to watch it again and again.

No matter what, consistency is key.  The more your child is exposed to brushing their teeth the easier it will get.  Hang in there and feel free to ask any questions during your next visit.

Keep in mind some children experience sensory issues and that is another topic all together.  Depending on the severity it may require a visit to your child's pediatrician and/or possible referral to an occupational therapist.