Brushing your teeth is one of the most effective ways to keep them healthy throughout your life. It only takes a couple of minutes to do a couple of times a day, but getting kids to do it can be like pulling teeth. Your child’s teeth will come in sparkly and fresh, and brushing will help you keep them that way.
Childhood is an opportunity to set the foundation for lifelong dental health, and you’ll have a better chance of establishing good habits if you can make brushing fun. If you need help getting your little ones to brush their teeth every day, try these 10 tips, tricks, and games to make brushing time more enjoyable.
Ten Engaging Ways to Make Brushing More Fun for Children
1. Start Early
One of the best ways to make your child comfortable with dental hygiene is to start early. You can begin establishing healthy habits even before your baby’s first tooth emerges by gently cleaning the gums twice a day with a soft, damp cloth. Once the first tooth emerges, start brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small amount of fluoride toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice. Around the age of two, your child can start brushing their own teeth with supervision.
2. Brush to Music
Turn brushing time into a dance party with your child’s favorite music. Any song will do, as long as it’s at least two minutes long. Brushing for the duration of the song will ensure your kiddo has plenty of time to clean all their teeth. If you can find a song with a good beat, it’s a bonus as it can give kids a rhythm to brush to.
3. Offer Small Rewards
Rewarding your child with candy or other sweet treats is contrary to the spirit of dental hygiene and would send your child to bed with a mouth full of sugar. Fortunately, there are other options! Stickers, small toys, and trinkets are all good places to start. You can even set long-term goals and reward your child with bigger rewards, such as a trip to the zoo if they brush their teeth every day for a set amount of time. Consider what your child enjoys and tailor rewards accordingly.
4. Involve Your Child in Their Dental Health
Sometimes, conventional minty toothpaste is too intense for small mouths. Fortunately, children’s toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors for kids to choose from. Children are more likely to feel invested in their dental hygiene if they have some ownership over the process. Let them choose their toothbrush and a toothpaste flavor they enjoy.
5. Brush Together
It’s no secret that kids struggle with brushing their teeth regularly, but adults do, too. According to one study, only about a quarter of the population brushes their teeth twice a day. Beat the odds by setting up a routine of brushing together at least twice a day. It will help your child develop healthy habits, and you’ll benefit as well. While it may feel simple, it provides a moment of connection between you and your child in the morning and before bed.
6. Create a Story or Play a Game
Work together with your child to turn brushing their teeth into an epic adventure. Tell a toothbrushing story with characters and stakes you determine together. Maybe their mouth is a cave filled with tiny monsters, and it’s up to them to save the day. Maybe there’s a microscopic alien invasion, and their soft-bristled sword is all that stands between Earth and total destruction. The possibilities are endless!
7. Try an App
Kids are technologically savvy, and you can use that to your advantage. There are several free apps available on the market designed to make brushing fun, including Brush DJ, Toothsavers Brushing Game, and Chomper Chums. Some of them play fun songs or videos, some feature encouraging characters, and some offer points and digital rewards for regular brushing. If your child is motivated by games, then gamifying their dental hygiene might work wonders.
8. Read Books
You can tell your child to brush their teeth over and over, but sometimes, they need to hear it from someone else, even if it’s a fictional character. Incorporate children’s books that reinforce the values and healthy habits you’ve been talking about at home. Books like Ready, Set, Brush!, Help the Lion Brush His Teeth!, and Brush Your Teeth, Please all teach toddlers the importance of brushing their teeth. You can also keep a special book in the bathroom to read to your child while they brush their teeth, wash their face, and get ready for the day or for bed. Making it part of your child’s routine gets them more involved in their oral health.
9. Make Dental Visits Special
Good daily brushing habits are the foundation of dental hygiene, but twice-yearly visits to the dentist anchor them. Make dental visits fun from the very beginning so your child doesn’t develop negative associations with dental care. Your child should visit the dentist for the first time within six months of the first tooth erupting or by their first birthday, whichever is sooner. Pediatric dentists are better equipped to deal with children, and they tend to have a more engaging atmosphere. Our Free Under Three program offers complimentary dental exams, cleanings, and fluoride treatments for children three and under. Designed to help your child become comfortable with the dentist, early appointments play a crucial role in establishing a lifetime of positive health habits.
10. Get Help From the Tooth Fairy
If the tooth fairy visits your family, you can enlist their magical help in keeping your child’s teeth clean. Everyone knows the tooth fairy trades teeth for money or prizes, but what you might not know is that the fairy pays more for clean, healthy teeth. Reinforce the relationship with a fun note from the tooth fairy, praising your child for their good habits. That little bonus might be all your child needs to keep their teeth sparkly, at least until all of their permanent teeth come in.
