How to Ensure Your Child Develops Good Dental Habits
Tips and Tricks to Help Children Develop Good Dental Habits
Keeping kids healthy is a priority for parents. While it is important to focus on their physical and mental health, one thing that you should not ignore is their dental health.
Below is a rundown of some of the things to do to make sure that they know how to take care of their teeth and mouth.
1. Give Them a Kid-Friendly Toothbrush
Not all toothbrushes are created the same. If you are buying one for your little one, choose a toothbrush with a kid-friendly design. It should be compact and lightweight, making it easy for them to hold. Otherwise, they will despise toothbrushing.
More so, it is also good to find a colorful toothbrush designed with their favorite characters. This will give them one good reason to look forward to the time that they will be brushing their teeth. The latter won’t feel like a chore but a part of their playtime.
2. Brush Together
To promote proper dental care among children, brush with them. This is not only a good parent-child bonding activity, but this can also be a good way to instill a life-long habit that will help promote their oral health.
When brushing together, give children the freedom to brush their teeth on their own. At the same time, guide them on how they can do it right.
3. Practice Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is effective in developing positive behaviors. While there are many ways you can implement positive reinforcements among children, one in which it can be effective is by teaching them about dental health. Reward them for good dental practices and that will encourage them to continue taking care of their oral health.
When giving rewards for positive enforcement, however, see to it that it is in line with promoting good dental health. For instance, you cannot reward them with sweets, which can contribute to tooth decay.
4. Support Healthy Eating Habits
Kids are picky eaters. They will eat only what they want, and for parents, it is often easy to give in to the desire of the young ones. Nonetheless, if you want them to develop good dental habits, then you must learn how to discipline them and promote healthy eating.
Sugar is the leading cause of tooth decay among children, so that is one thing that you must minimize in their diet. It can break the enamel, which is the protective layer of the teeth. While there is nothing wrong with giving them candies and chocolates, they should eat such sweet treats in moderation. Parents should eat healthy themselves, serving good examples to children.
5. Visit the Dentist Regularly
To ensure that kids develop good dental habits, they should start having regular dental visits with expert like this professional dentist in Pasadena at a young age, even before they start growing teeth. Otherwise, they might not realize that it is one of the best health practices for children.
Many experts recommend that a child should have the first dental visit after turning 12 months. This visit should include a full examination of the teeth. From here, the child should see a dentist once every six months for early detection of dental problems and the promotion of oral health.
This is one habit that they can pick up as they grow old, and it will make them realize that they should never neglect their oral health.
6. Read Books About Dental Health
Reading is one of the best activities parents and kids can enjoy. While you can read many books to the little ones, make sure that those will include stories about dental health. This is a fun and engaging way to teach them that they should never neglect their teeth and mouth.
The right choice of book is crucial for the success of this strategy. Find one with colorful characters and large illustrations. If possible, it should also have sounds. Through these books, kids can build good dental habits.
7. Use Music
When it is time to brush their teeth, it is common for children to resist. They will have all kinds of excuses, but you should not give in. Instead, find a way to encourage them to brush their teeth, and one thing that you can do is to play music.
Pick their favorite songs and jam to lively music while brushing together. Dance if you must, if this is going to make brushing more engaging for the little one. It is best to choose songs that revolve around the theme of toothbrushing.
8. Give Them Choices
A lot of parents may think that children are too young to be making decisions themselves. While that can be true, it does not mean that they should just follow what you say or what you want. It will help if you give them choices.
One of the best ways to give them choices is to let them choose their toothbrush and toothpaste. Guide them on what is best for them but let them have the final say.
Conclusion
Many parents can relate to the difficulty of teaching children the importance of dental habits. They are too young to realize how critical it is to take care of their oral health. Nonetheless, you should be responsible enough to discipline them. From positive reinforcements to giving them choices, this article talked about some of the best things that you can do to teach children how to take care of their mouths and teeth. Doing so will allow you to instill a good behavior that they can bring with them until they grow up.
