Ways to Encourage Your Child to Brush Their Teeth

There are few children out there who will routinely brush their teeth without some gentle encouragement. Or even with repeated nagging for that matter. Encouraging children to brush twice a day can be a challenge for many parents and guardians, proven by the recent news that 1 in 8 of all kiddos aged 3 suffer from tooth decay. It’s a serious problem but it’s not unfixable.

Today, I’m sharing my top five tips to encourage your children to brush:

1. Get a fun toothbrush

I bought my daughter an electric toothbrush covered in colourful cartoon characters. This helps to make cleaning my daughter’s teeth fun and exciting.

2. Warning

give your child plenty of prior-warning when it’s time to brush their teeth; helping to know what is expected of them. Even brush your own with them to encourage them to join you. Make funny noises when you do so they think it’s something enjoyable!

3. Flavourful toothpaste

Of course, budgets can be tight, but no matter if you’re a pro or opposer of fluoride or a connoisseur of natural/organic, one thing is the main priority with kids’ toothpaste – taste. If they enjoy the taste, it’ll help them to enjoy brushing.

4. Create a rewards chart

Kids love the feeling that they’ve achieved something. So, to help motivate them, create a rewards system for those who brush. Give them star stickers to pop on the chart when they brush and give rewards for those who consistently stay on track… just no sweeties!

5. Dental dancing

There are hundreds of educational apps to download on your phone or tablet that can make brushing a much more exciting time. Brushing games and cartoons can be easily downloaded, allowing dental care to be integrated into other aspects of their life.

If you have any other dental related questions, don’t be afraid to ask – I’m always available to answer!

Dr Uchenna