As a family dentist, our goal is to keep your family healthy. While we can try commanding your child to brush their teeth, that doesn’t work too well. We would far prefer to get them excited about oral health and teach them to understand how they will feel better if they continue to brush and floss their teeth while also making healthy choices. As the old saying goes, you catch more bees with honey. The American Dental Association has come to the same conclusion and is now using videos to help kids learn how to brush their teeth.
You can go online and view the ADA’s resources then have your kids watch a tutorial to learn how to brush their teeth the right way. We understand that for a lot of kids, listening to mom and dad is less than a priority. No matter how good your children are, natural conflict can occur with mom and dad, in part, due to how much parents have to do with their children. It is brushing their teeth one minute, eating their lunch the next, doing homeowner, cleaning their room, and so on. This can make watching a video an easy and conflict-free way to make sure that they are brushing properly. Simply play it once a month to give them a reminder.
As a family dentist, we also encourage you to check out the ADA’s website for kids. They have Adventure Time videos along with sing-alongs and other cartoons that your children can watch while brushing their teeth. The idea is to have them watch a two-minute cartoon, twice a day so that they can learn how to brush their teeth for the right amount of time. Since most kids enjoy watching cartoons, this is an easy way to get them excited to brush their teeth for the full amount of time. This can also help with their bedtime routine and making it easier to get them to unwind for the day. All you need to do is pull out your tablet, smartphone or laptop to have them brush and floss. The videos are age-appropriate, and you can find something for everyone from your toddler to teen.
If you want to use something other than a video, try music. Find out what your child’s favorite song is and play it for two minutes each time they brush teeth. Whether they are older and want to rock out to the latest Bruno Mars song or they are little princesses fascinated by Frozen, it doesn’t matter. Music can lift the spirits and get your child dancing while brushing. This is a great way to start the morning, so we encourage trying it out with your morning routine and maybe using a video in the evening.
As a family dentist, we know that, even though, these solutions may seem silly, they are actually fairly important because they can get your child excited to brush. This can lead to a lifetime of good oral health.