KBMdental’s top tips for keeping those teeth clean!
Getting children to clean their teeth is easier said than done. As any parent knows, we are bombarded with advice as to what we should do when it comes to our children’s dental hygiene.
Trying to reason with a nipper that they must clean their teeth to prevent plaque clearly isn’t going to get you anywhere so if you hope to stand a chance of winning the teeth-cleaning battle, you need to find a kbm dental rules.
1. Try to clean your teeth at the same time as your child. Children love to imitate grownups so if you’re cleaning your teeth the likelihood is they will want to copy you.
2. Get a kids toothpaste as they taste naturally sweet and will make teeth cleaning a funner experience. Young children will often swallow toothpaste so try to make sure you choose a fluoride-free option.
3. Use a brightly coloured toothbrush. Kids are attracted more to vibrant colours and will be drawn to the prospect of cleaning their teeth if their toothbrush is attractive to play with.
4. Negotiation can be a powerful tool when bringing up children. Say that if they clean their teeth well for three minutes morning and night, they will be rewarded with something they enjoy such as a trip to the park or their favourite story.
5. Introduce teeth cleaning into the morning and bedtime routine. E.g. if you always do bath, pyjamas, teeth and story in that order, then your child will soon come to realise that teeth cleaning is all part of their normal routine.
6. If your child wants to brush your teeth, let them. This will give you an ideal opportunity to brush their teeth – brushing each other’s teeth can be great fun which associates laughter and fun with teeth cleaning.
7. Use two brushes: while very young children may be keen to hold their own toothbrush, the brushing which results can be ineffectual. Give them a toothbrush to hold to distract them from you cleaning their teeth with the other brush.
8. Come into us for a dental check-up every six months. Getting children used to the dentist will help eliminate any fear they might have of coming in for a regular visit in the future.