Oral hygiene is an important part of our everyday lives and goes a long way in maintaining one’s dental health. Kids often have a hard time trying to maintain oral hygiene and more often than not they will have to be reminded to either floss or brush their teeth before going to bed. It is for this reason that you should try to make the whole process as fun as possible. This way they can always enjoy these oral hygiene practices which is beneficial for them in the long run. Below are a few tips on how to make oral hygiene fun for kids.
When you start something as a routine, it is easier for it to become second nature as time passes by. This also applies to kids. If you make oral hygiene practices a routine for your kids (espec, they are more likely to get used to the whole process and may even start doing it without necessary reminders. The trick with this is to make the routine something easy for the kids to stick to every day, and also make it something enjoyable so that they can be looking forward to it every day.
Kids respond very well to the promise of a reward as an incentive to do something. In this case, you could reward your kids for good oral hygiene habits. The nature of the reward could depend on a lot of things such as what the kids like and also what you’re willing to offer. A great example of a reward for the kids would be extended bedtime over the weekend when they manage to brush their teeth before bed for a week consecutively.
Big companies have become very creative with branding and this even extends to oral hygiene products. Kids’ toothpaste is usually packaged in a colorful and attractive way and there are even toothbrushes with cartoon characters on the handle. Buying such products for your kids could go a long way in encouraging them to use the products regularly. When your child’s toothbrush has a picture of their favorite Disney character on the handle, you can bet they will always be looking forward to brushing their teeth since they actually get to have some fun during the process.
Kids like it when they have some element of power. They are more likely to floss and brush their teeth when allowed to do it at their preferred time. just make sure you guide them as to what times are best (for example after meals and before bed). You can also try bringing them to the grocery store so that they can choose the oral hygiene products they like.
Dental hygiene is important for everyone and it is even more important to make sure that your kids follow the right practices. Adding some fun to the whole process will undoubtedly make them more keen about the whole thing. If your kid needs a dental check, visit our clinic in South Austin!