5 Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Brush & Floss

We’ve all had those mornings. You’re running late for work, trying to get everyone out the door, and your little one is fighting you on brushing their teeth. Instilling the importance of proper dental care in children and keeping up a healthy oral hygiene regime can be tough! We’ve compiled a list of 5 fun ways to alleviate some of that brushing and flossing stress.

1. Create a reward system.

Good oral hygiene is so important to your child’s health, and should be encouraged and rewarded, if necessary! Treat your little one to an extra story before bedtime, or design a prize system. For example, use a sticker chart to keep track of brushing and flossing, and reward your child with a small prize at the end of the month if they’ve done a good job every day.

2. Brush and floss with your child.

Your children are always watching and developing their habits based off of your habits! Let your kids see you prioritizing your dental health– make it a tradition to brush and floss together. You may even find yourself improving your hygiene routine to be a good role model.

3. Make their toothbrush & toothpaste special.

Touches of personalization can be so special for kids! Let your child pick out their toothbrush, and even decorate it with stickers, Rainbow Loom, etc. They can pick out their toothpaste flavor, as well; there is a plethora of fun flavors out there!

4. Play games!

Brushing and flossing do not have to be a chore! Incorporate games into your child’s oral health routine. With apps like Brush DJ and Star Teeth, your kids can keep track of their brushing while enjoying music or following along with their chosen character. Alternatively, you can get creative and come up with a game or competition. Which of your children can make it to the bathroom and finish their 2 minutes of brushing first?

5. Come up with a story.

Why do your children need to brush their teeth? Are there sugar bugs hiding in their teeth? Is your child a superhero who needs to brush away the bad guys? Creating a narrative is a great way to foster engagement in your child!

Comments are closed.