Maybe you have encountered this scenario before (or it will still happen to you) - it is time to get your little one off to school in the morning or time for bed at night. You are not in the mood to struggle and now there is crying and screaming .... all because of the fact that their teeth must be brushed.
You cannot understand what the problem is, you know that dental hygiene is important, and you must brush your teeth at least once a day. You as a parent are suppose to teach them this. Why can they not just understand it?
Not only is it important to brush your teeth regularly to prevent cavities, but if a child's baby teeth are unhealthy it will most of the time mean that their adult teeth will also be unhealthy.
So it is really crucial that you teach your child from a young age that oral and dental care are very important.
You as a parent are in charge of this and there are a few things that you can do to make this whole process easier.
Start off with training wheels
There are lots of choices for babies and toddlers to help them get use to working up to brushing their teeth. Let them chew it and play with it as much as possible that it is not a foreign concept or item that just get sprung on them one day.
Practice what you preach
You cannot expect your child to brush their teeth, but you neglect doing it. Let your little one join you in the bathroom when you are busy brushing your teeth and talk to them and explain why it is important to do it often. The more they see you following this regime, the more they would like to join in and also brush their teeth. Make sure you show them the proper way to brush using a circular motion and being sure to brush all the teeth in their mouth in the front and the back.
Let us practice on our stuffed animals
You can play a game with your child and let him/her be in charge of Teddy's teeth. He/she must make sure that Teddy brushes his teeth regularly and then also their own. By giving this responsibility to your child, they will feel that they are in charge of something and make sure that they take care of it. If you feel up to it, you can also make it fun and tell your child that if you can brush his/her teeth, they can brush yours. Just allow some extra times in the mornings for this ritual and before long your little one will only be worried about brushing their own teeth when this novelty wears off.
Put on some music and lets get our groove on
What is better than doing something while the music is playing in the background. Put on your favourite tunes and have some fun together with your little one. Dance and brush away. Try and find songs that are at least 2 minutes long since this is the time span you are suppose to brush your teeth. You may not stop dancing or brushing before the music ends.
You can use this video for some inspiration
Have an open discussion about oral hygiene
If your child is still very young, you can tell them a story about how sad the tooth fairy will be if she has to come and find rotten teeth. She needs nice and shiny teeth to build her castle. If your child is a bit older you can show him/her pictures of what can happen if they do not keep up good brushing habits.
Do NOT use the dentist as a scaring technique
It is important that your child knows that even if he/she brushes their teeth often, it is still possible to get a cavity or that they have to go to the dentist for regular check ups. The dentist is not a mean old man that just wants to hurt you. Do not say things like If you do not brush your teeth you are going to end up going to the dentist and he is going to pull out all your teeth!!
Lets find a cool toothbrush and toothpaste
It so easy these days to find toothpaste that are specially made for kids or some very cool toothbrushes with beautiful pictures on it or in different shapes. Let your little one pick his/her own toothbrush and the flavour toothpaste they like. They can even have a special holder for the toothbrush and toothpaste which is just for their toothbrush and toothpaste.
You can now tell them You have such a beautiful toothbrush/such nice tasting toothpaste, lets use it. If your child is still very young, make sure you buy toothpaste that is fine to swallow or does not have a strong taste - it can upset them if it burns their mouth and they can be put off from brushing teeth again.
You as a parent knows your child and you will know which methods will work the best for them. Be patient and understand that this is a new venture for them and the more fun it is, the more they would want to do it. Shouting at them and punishing them if they do not want to brush their teeth will just make it worse.
Encourage them and make sure they understand that having good oral hygiene is beneficial to them and do not need to be a scary thing, it can be a lot of fun.
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