Amy took to brushing her teeth like a fish to water, but a lot of my friends struggled to get their kids to brush their teeth and establish a successful dental routine. Some kids didn’t want to open their mouth for the tooth brush, others didn’t like the taste of their tooth paste. So how do you make sure that their pearly whites stay that way and get your kids to brush their teeth without fear?
I have asked my blogging buddies how they have convinced their children to brush regularly and for the right amount of time and here is what they have come up with.
Andrea from All You Need Is Love and Cake suggested to “take them to the dentist as early as possible when you are having your check up and ask the dentist to look in their mouth too.” It’s a great way to show your children the importance of a good dental hygiene and gets them used to the environment of a dental practice.
Jayne from Mum’s The Word thinks the best way to healthy teeth is being a good role model: “I brush my teeth at the same time as my daughter and we brush the same areas of our mouths and for the same length of time. It makes sure that she brushes thoroughly.”
Sometimes though, a little outside help is needed. Cass from Diary of a Frugal Family uses an egg timer to ensure that her kids are brushing for long enough. Liz from Me and my Shadow gets a singing toothbrush to keep her 5 year old entertained and Donna from Little Little Pad and Anya from Older Single Mum use the Aquafresh and Brush With Jackson apps to bring a bit of fun into the bathroom.
A reward chart is what works for Helen from Kiddy Charts. “We use a reward chart for brushing teeth. You create them like all my other charts and can be as creative as you want in terms of rewards. My two are happy enough with stickers, but you could give a little toy or reward your kids with a trip to the zoo. It’s really up to you and what works for your children.”
Sarah from Boo, Roo and Tigger Too gave her children an element of control by allowing them to choose their own tooth brushes. Brushing with your favourite cartoon character is so much more fun, don’t you think?
Whatever you do though, regular check ups at your dental practice are a vital part of your child’s dental hygiene, so sign them up with your dentist or check The Dental People for their closest branch. The provide excellent service from NHS dentistry to orthodontic essentials and implants.
But what’s your trick? Tell me how your get your kids to brush their teeth? Maybe we find a solution against all cavities in the world!?
Disclosure: This is a featured post, written in association with Oasis Dental Care.
Neat post Carolin and super helpful ideas. I’m with Jayne on the brushing our teeth together – I also find doing it with them in front of a mirror helps too!
Lots of good tips there! My two love going to the dentist! I think that’s probably down to them getting little toys and gifts when they go, and it’s a good incentive to keep them looking after their teeth nicely! 😀
Such an important topic! And great to start them young. Thanks for the tips.
Silly noises used to help, and humour, like threatening to brush up his nose or in his ears. Still drives me blinking mad every other day. Spiderman electric toothbrush was good investment too! Great tips!
We count teeth, several times! X
Loads of great tips there, thanks Carolin x
I’m not a parent but I’m the first generation (according to my dentist) of young people who’ve grown up with the flouride toothpastes and right after the government beefed up their teeth brushing campaigns. I certainly remember having talks in primary school about how important it was. As Brits, British teeth is still a stereotype but it makes me so proud that the UK has some of the best dental health today IN THE WORLD thanks to these programs and parents putting value in it. Cavities? Fillings? Teach dental health early and you save the NHS millions, as well as helping your child learn invaluable health skills for their later life. My teeth aren’t utterly gorgeous but they’re healthy and function perfectly and will continue to for the rest of my life if I keep up the habits I was taught. Just wanted to say thanks to Mums for all this effort! 😀
Thanks for your long comment. I completely agree with you. It’s essential that children are taught dental hygiene not only home, but also at school. Many people don’t know that having bad/unhealthy teeth can affect their entire body and I think dentists and authorities should really make people aware of that.
Ooooh fab tips there. I do worry mine don’t do theirs well enough, so hard to watch 3 when you’re trying to get out in the morning.
I have done lots of the above but find myself with two children with very different teeth! Eight yr old now independent and doesn’t want me hovering has huge issues brushing near a wobbly tooth so you can imagine the results and frustrations on my part. Cleaning wobbly teeth – any suggestions?! 🙂