It can be challenging to teach your children, especially when comes to brushing. Here are some tips that may help you instill brushing as a habit and maybe have fun while doing it.
First, it helps to know the basics of brushing. Using your gums as a reference, hold your brush at a 45-degree angle and move it back and forth on your teeth. Be sure to get all the sides and the tops. For getting the back-facing sides of your front teeth, it is easier to hold your brush at a 90-degree angle and brush up and down. Do not forget to brush your tongue too.
Those are the rules you can teach, but when do you start? You can discuss this more with our dentist to judge their readiness, but they are generally ready around age six.
Your best hope of teaching them is to be a good example of brushing yourself. You can brush with them, having them watch you while you keep an eye on their brushing habits. Many children try to mimic their parents, so you can demonstrate all the steps of brushing as they observe you, and they might want to try it out themselves.
To make it more exciting for them, try turning it into a family activity. You could try making it a non-competitive game where they imitate your motions and you congratulate them for their individual progress. You could try making up a song to explain the steps and increase the fun factor. If you are not musically inclined, you can search for songs that already exist instead.
All children are different, so we cannot guarantee success, but you can try these ideas out and see if they work. You can come to Little People's Dental in South Jordan, Utah for more assistance with your family’s oral health. Our dentist, Dr. Thayne Gardner, will work with you to keep your kids happy and healthy. To call, you need only dial (801) 999-1426.