The staff at Sarum Dental Practice hopes you’ve had a great Easter weekend! Now that we’ve partaken of a few more sugary snacks than we would care to admit (!), it’s time to switch our focus back to our dental hygiene. Especially now that our normal routines have been temporarily interrupted, our kids need all the help we can give them to brush their teeth and support their oral health.
A habit is born from routine
We often hear our Salisbury dental patients lament that they find it hard to get their children to brush their teeth twice a day. This is not uncommon as, when children hit a certain age, challenging the status-quo and sparking a battle of wills is all too enticing! By creating and sticking to a routine that sees your child brush their teeth once in the morning and before bed, for 2 minutes, you’ll begin to instil a lifelong habit in them that will support their dental hygiene. Keep reading for some helpful tips and tricks that will turn their tooth brushing routine into a fun pastime for you and your family.
Brush your teeth. Reap the rewards!
Rewards-based systems are a great way to get your children excited to take part in their new tooth brushing routine and we find that a lot of children respond extremely well to this incentive. Download this free toothbrushing chart, perhaps invest in some funky stickers, and let your child visually see their hard work paying off. Letting your child tick off their day to day routine when completed will give them an added boost of confidence and sense of pride in their new responsibility.
Get them moving
As adults, we can sympathise with our children and relate to the monotony of brushing our teeth twice a day. But with today’s ingenious technology, this task does not have to be boring! Brush DJ is an app that times your child’s teeth cleaning sessions, letting them know when they’ve finished their two minutes of brushing, all whilst playing their favourite music. Your child will want to bust out their favourite flossing moves even as they’re keeping their teeth and gums clean!
Keeping your child in the know
If you’re child is aware of the dangers of not brushing their teeth, or eating too much sugar, they will feel more confident to make the right choices for their own dental hygiene.
The Teeth Team are a group of educational dental superheroes that feature games, puzzles and fun activities on their website designed to help inform children on why and how to protect their teeth. The best part is that they cater for all ages so no matter what stage your child is at, you’ll be able to find something just for them and they even have a parent’s portal full of resources and child-friendly advice.