Your Pediatric Dentist Near Allen Offers Tips on Teaching Your Child How to Brush

It’s like pulling teeth to get your child to brush twice a day, but even when they do, they don’t do it correctly, and that makes you fret. As a parent, you worry about them developing oral health problems like cavities and chronic bad breath. You know showing them the correct way to brush and take care of their smile is vital to their long-term oral health. Setting a healthy foundation for your loved one’s future can help them avoid little problems developing into big ones, like gum disease. Your pediatric dentist near Allen offers tips and tricks on fun ways to teach your child to brush properly below.

Teaching Them the Brushing Basics

Because your child may not know how to brush properly, you can set a great foundation for their oral health by showing them the step-by-step process:

• Angle their toothbrush at 45 degrees between their gums and teeth.
• Gently move the brush back and forth in short strokes. Continue this step brushing each tooth’s surface.
• Don’t forget to reach behind the teeth on the top and bottom of their mouth.
• Lastly, show them how to brush their tongue to remove bacteria.

Providing them with a visual on how to brush their teeth may make it easier for them to replicate. Additionally, it’s a good idea to show them how to start flossing once their tooth surfaces are next to each other. This helps prevent bad breath by removing food particles lodged between their teeth. When left to build up, this can cause serious oral health issues like gum disease. It may be easiest to teach them to do this with dental floss picks because they’re simpler to maneuver and hold.

Ways to Make Brushing More Fun

Teaching your child that brushing their teeth can be fun is a great way to turn it into an activity instead of a chore. Some ways you can do this include:

• Making it into a game. You can turn brushing into something fun by having your son or daughter do it while their favorite song is playing or by offering them small incentives like picking out the next movie for family night. This gives them some reasons to look forward to brushing instead of dreading it.
• Tell a story. It’s okay to come up with creative and fun reasons that your loved one may need to brush their teeth. Experts agree that creating a fun story is a great way to get children who don’t get excited about brushing to participate. One mother came up with the story that animals were hiding in her children’s teeth and each night they have to pick a different beast to go after with their toothbrush.
• Let your child shop for oral hygiene products with you. There are a ton of fun and healthy products out there to encourage children to get excited about taking care of their smiles. Letting them pick out their own toothpaste and toothbrush can help pique their interest and have them rushing into the bathroom to brush their teeth instead of running away from it. Just make sure that the products you get have the ADA seal of approval on them. You can also ask your dentist for kid’s in Allen for any oral hygiene product recommendations.

Showing your son or daughter the ropes of maintaining proper oral hygiene can give them a foundation for a healthy smile in the future. Their little grin melts your heart, and you want to keep it healthy and happy. Next time you take your loved one to their children’s dentist near Allen, don’t forget to ask for any additional suggestions about how you can best take care of your little one’s teeth!

About the Author

Dr. Russell Choy has been a board-certified pediatric dentist since 2014. He is passionate about working with children and getting them to love visiting the dentist for their checkups and cleanings. He also enjoys encouraging them to get excited about taking care of their small smiles. For any questions or to schedule an appointment for your loved one, visit OPD Smiles’ website or contact 972-646-7774.