Teach Kids to Brush Teeth

Getting kids to brush their teeth can seem like a lot of work for little reward. Kids teeth are going to fall out at some point as their adult teeth come in, so it might seem that there is little reason to have them getting their teeth clean. Just waiting until those adult teeth come in could save you a few brain cells.

In reality, waiting to teach your kids to brush their teeth is an extremely bad idea. You will have set them on a path of poor oral hygiene, and it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to easily change their habits later. Having dental work done is extremely expensive, and depending on how bad you let your child’s teeth get, you could be in for some expensive work down the road.

As such, you should be working towards getting your kids to start brushing their teeth early on in life. Below are several tips to help you teach your kids to brush their teeth.

Start brushing early

Your pediatrician (and your dentist) are going to tell you to start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as you can. In fact, they’ll likely recommend that you brush their gums before they even have teeth. Getting started early with teaching your chiild about brushing their teeth is going to be the easiest way to teach them.

Kids learn a lot at a young age, and they’re quite adaptable. If you start tooth brushing from the time they’re a baby, and keep at it consistently as they grow, this is the best way to get your kids in the good habit of brushing their teeth. As is usual with most things that you want to teach your kids, consistency is key to make it something they always do.

Don’t wait until you think your kids are old enough to brush their teeth by themselves. You’ll be brushing your child’s teeth for several years until they’re really old enough to get their own teeth clean. The best strategy is to brush their teeth for them, and then let them brush their own teeth (or reverse order is great as well). By getting their teeth clean, and then letting them learn to do it themselves, you get the best of both worlds.

Brush your own teeth

If your kids never see you brush your teeth, they won’t recognize the importance of it. Children learn both by doing, and seeing what you do. If your child sees you brushing your teeth, they are going to recognize that it’s important to you.

Children are very attentive (even if you think otherwise) and they will notice a lot of things that go on around your home. While they may not realize it fully, when they see you brushing your teeth, they naturally will begin to realize that it’s important. Trying to convince your child that something’s important that you don’t do yourself is generally a losing battle.

Make it a game

If your child is struggling to brush their own teeth, or doesn’t want to, then you can try to turn it into a game. This is generally helpful for toddler age children who don’t want to brush their teeth or that you’re trying to convince that it’s not so bad.

You can certainly reward your child for doing a good job brushing their teeth, but giving them candy or a snack would defeat the purpose. You could use a sticker chart that they earn a sticker on every morning and night that they brush their teeth for a certain amount of time. The sticker chart can build up to a physical reward as they work through it.

You can also try simple games while brushing your teeth. If you have multiple kids, have them attempt to get their teeth the cleanest in one minute. Whoever does the best job, wins (make sure they just use their toothbrush and toothpaste to get the job done). If you only have one child, you can challenge them to the same game as well.

Choose fun toothbrushes

If your child has a plain toothbrush, you could try mixing it up a little bit. Get them a toothbrush with their favorite character on it, or something that they really like. They’ll be more inclined to brush their teeth if they have something they like going into their mouth. If your child is old enough to use an electric toothbrush, you can get them for fairly cheap as well. Kids may find that it’s a little easier when they don’t have to do as much work.

Make sure you also have toothpaste that your kids like the flavor of. While you may love a mint flavor, many kids do not. Bubble gum is popular, or something that’s a little more sweet to the taste. Just be careful as you may have to keep it out of their reach so that they don’t eat it.

Conclusion

Teaching your kids to brush their teeth doesn’t have to be hard. While it may take a bit of work now, it can save you a lot of headaches and money down the road. Get your kids in the good habit, and perhaps you’ll get your teeth a little cleaner as well in the process. Also, don't forget to teach them to floss.