Welcome back to another blog by your friends at Edgewood Dental Care! Today we have some cool tips and tricks for you! This advice is designed to help you get your kids to actually brush their teeth. By making home hygiene a priority in your household and helping your children build good dental care habits, you can help them avoid many dental problems throughout their lives.

As always, please feel free to contact our Edgewood, KY dental team with any questions or concerns you may have. We would be happy to talk to you one on one about your specific problems and help you find a solution that works for your family.

#1: Brush with them.
Your kids are watching you! One of the best ways to get your kids to understand the importance of dental hygiene is by showing them! Use this time to teach and bond with your child. Grab your toothbrush and show them how its done. Your child will love being just like mom or dad!

#2: Buy them a fun toothbrush.
Another way to get your child involved in their dental hygiene is by getting them a cool toothbrush that they will enjoy. You could possibly even take them to the store with you to pick out a toothbrush that they love!

#3: Use one of these cool apps.
Brush DJ – This app simply uses pre-installed music or music from your phone to entertain while your child brushes. It is a two-minute timer to let them know when they can stop brushing!
Chopper Chums – This app allows your child to create a new animal friend who guides them through brushing, flossing, and rinsing their teeth. They earn points to buy their animal friend treats. A great way to make brushing fun!

Disney Magic Timer – This app uses popular Disney characters provide entertainment while your child brushes. Available free from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Aquafresh Brush Time – This app turns brushing into a game! Your child can create a character and then earn points while the brush. They can then use these points to buy items for their character.

#4: Reward them for building good habits.
We are suggesting that you bribe your child exactly, but it may be a good idea to reward them for building good oral care habits! For example, maybe allow your child to stay up an extra 30 minutes each night she brushes her teeth. There are lots of ways to reward your children for taking great care of their smiles.

#5: Use positive reinforcement.
You can also positively reinforce good behavior using compliments. Talk to your child about how great of a job she is doing by brushing her teeth every night. Tell her that her smile is beautiful and that she is smart and capable of building great lifeline dental hygiene habits. Everyone loves to hear how well they are doing! Don’t hold back!

#6: Start at a very early age.
Building great dental hygiene habits starts at a very young age. As soon as your child has teeth and is capable of holding a toothbrush, they should be taught the importance of brushing. By engraining this into them from a very young age, the habit will be built before they are old enough to choose whether or not they really WANT to brush their teeth! But don’t worry, if your child is older and still hasn’t developed good habits, don’t worry! It’s never too late to begin taking care of your smile!

Make An Appointment
Tried it all? Still can’t get your kids to love brushing their teeth? We recommend scheduling an appointment with our Edgewood, KY dental team. We can walk your child through the importance of brushing their teeth as well as help them get used to regular trips to the dentist. We may be able to also help you find a solution that works for your family.

We offer checkups and treatment for the whole family. Contact us by calling 859-474-7830 or using our online contact form to send us an appointment. We would be delighted to help you.