Teaching your child to brush is extremely important because it establishes good oral habits that last a lifetime. If you want your child to pick up the good habit of regularly brushing her teeth early in life then it’s important to care for the primary teeth of your child even when you know that he will lose all of them anyway. This is because; these primary teeth hold the right spaces for the secondary or the permanent teeth. Healthy first teeth also contribute to proper alignment of the jawbones and an eventual bite. And also it helps our little children to maintain a healthy smile and adds to their beauty.
The key to teaching your child how to brush her teeth is simple. Make tooth brushing appear as a fun activity; make it part of the routine and make her want to do it.
Try the following:
- Model good dental hygiene: In order to start children on a life-long habit of healthy dental care, parents need to set a good example by practicing their own good oral care habits. Parents remember, your enthusiasm is contagious! If you are enthusiastic about the activity, your children will be enthusiastic too. Also, children are great emulators. They want to do the things that their parents do. If your children see you brushing your teeth and displaying good dental habits, they will follow. So let your child watch you brush. Get the children her own toothbrush and enjoy side-by-side brushing just for play. Then what you want to do is let her see how you brush your teeth. In the end, show her how much cleaner your teeth are than they were before.
- Also, when your child is brushing her teeth, talk about all the foods she ate that she is brushing away. Especially name any sweets or chips. This helps her understand that the process of brushing teeth is to remove excess food from her mouth and clean her teeth.
- Make it a game. Try and make a game out the activity like sing and sway to a song like; Brush, Brush, Brush your teeth” (to the tune of “Row, row, row your boat”). Doing it in this way can help your child relax.
- Alternatively, have your child brush her favourite doll’s / toy’s teeth before she brush her own teeth.
- Use only a little amount of toothpaste on their toothbrush as larger amounts tend to create excessive foam making it more difficult for your child to brush.
- Make sure that your child gets in the habit of spitting out the toothpaste. Swallowing toothpaste on a consistent basis can lead to a condition known as fluorosis, in which spots may appear on your child’s teeth.
- Be careful of the toothpaste you use. Almost all toothpastes contain harsh flavourings that adults barely notice. Children often dislike strong-tasting paste.
- Also, keep your child off a steady diet of highly sugared junk foods, especially lollipops, caramel and other sticky candies.
