Tips for Getting Your Child to Brush Their Teeth

You know that brushing is a major part of your dental care routine at home. But does your child understand this? Many children may think that a quick spritz with water and 10-second brushing session will do the trick.

Even though your child doesn't have their permanent teeth yet, caring for them properly is still absolutely essential. Those baby teeth help your child chew and speak clearly. Beyond that, they also set the stage for your child's permanent teeth to come in. That means your little one's non-permanent teeth need just as much care as the ones that will come in later on.

If your child is resistant to brushing or thinks it doesn't matter, then you'll want to help your child keep their mouth healthy. What can you do to make sure that your child is brushing their teeth? Take a look at these easy-to-follow tips for getting your child into a dental hygiene routine.

How much does your child need to brush? Your child should brush for two minutes at least two times a day. This may not seem like a lot to you. But to a child, this seems like forever. Sure, the first 10 or 30 seconds are fine. After that, your child starts to lose interest and tries to put the brush down. The fact is, half a minute of brushing is not enough.

Make brushing for two minutes fun by turning on the tunes. Pick a favorite song or make a brushing playlist that equals the exact time your child needs to properly clean their mouth.

Make sure that the song is upbeat. This will make brushing a happy experience and give your child an added boost of energy. Tell your child that she needs to brush for the whole time the song is on. While it's tempting to have her shake, twirl and dance to the music, this could result in a nasty mouth injury.

Your child looks to you for just about everything and watches what you do all day. Sometimes you feel like you have a little shadow following you around and mimicking your every move. Take advantage of this and show your child the right way to brush their teeth. Seeing you brush your teeth will encourage your child to follow suit.

Don't just ask your child to watch you brush, take care of your healthy mouth routine with them. Get playful and turn this into a follow the leader game. Your child will watch as you pick up your toothbrush and put on the toothpaste, then mimic you. Then your child will watch as you brush each area of your mouth, and mimic that too.

Perhaps your child understand why brushing their teeth for two minutes is important, which is great. But your child is only brushing the front teeth. Even though your child is brushing for the appropriate amount of time, their whole mouth isn't getting clean. You need to help your child understand that they needs to brush the fronts and backs of all their teeth-even the ones in the back.

Sometimes simply telling your child isn't enough to get the message through. Your child needs a hands-on way to learn about brushing. Yes, your child can practice in their own mouth. But you also want to make brushing fun.

Get in the action and help your child to practice brushing skills in a perfectly playful way. Give your child a "play" brush-one that isn't used on their actual teeth-and have your child take on the role of the dentist. Your child can practice brushing a doll's or stuffed animal's teeth. Don't worry if the toys don't have actual teeth. The key here is to get your child used to brushing all areas in the mouth.