5 Tips to Teach Your Kids How To Brush Teeth

Children are sponges at a young age and learn new ideas and concepts quickly. Toothbrushing is no different. Start teaching your child to brush their teeth properly from a young age so that you can develop a routine that will last a lifetime. By teaching them about cavities and bad breath you can help them to see the importance of good oral hygiene.

They are never too young for brushing and flossing to be a part of their twice daily routine. By brushing when their first tooth arrives (usually around 6 months) and flossing as soon as their teeth start to touch along with early dental appointments and twice-yearly checkups and cleanings, your child will be well on their way to good oral health and positive dental experiences.

Standing in front of a mirror and showing your child how you brush your teeth while walking them through what you’re doing can be an invaluable teaching tool. By making it fun you can make them excited about following your example and you can even make brushing and flossing a game! It’s always great to set a good example.

There are so many kid-friendly options for toothbrushes and toothpaste available today. Superheroes? Princesses? Favourite colour? Bubblegum flavour? They have it all and allowing them to choose their own will make them more excited to use it. Electric toothbrushes are a great option for kids as many of them come with built-in music, lights, or timers. What’s important is that the toothbrush is appropriately sized for their age (usually shown on the package) and that the toothpaste has fluoride.

Turn toothbrushing into a game. Use a timer and challenge them to keep brushing until the timer runs out, let them brush to their favourite song (there’s even an app), brush along with them and see who makes the most toothpaste bubbles, have a smiling contest in the mirror after brushing, practice on stuffed animals first, whatever you can think of to make them excited about brushing-do that!

Kids (and everyone) love praise and having you as their cheerleader encouraging them to brush and complimenting them on a job well done will help them to stick to an oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing twice per day every day. Your positive reinforcement can help to ensure that good oral hygiene stays with them for the rest of their lives. Bonus if you get their dentist to cheer them on too!