Oral Health Facts & Tips for Parents

Are you wondering what steps you can take to help protect your kids’ oral health and make teeth brushing a fun experience? Read on to find out!

Good oral hygiene habits start at a young age. The habits you teach your child when they are young, such as flossing, brushing, and regular dentist appointments, will help set them up for a lifetime of good oral health.

Make it a Routine

Making a routine of mandatory teeth brushing twice a day is a great start. Tooth brushing should occur once when they wake up, or after breakfast, and then again every night before bedtime. Toothbrushing will quickly become one of their responsibilities and will become a part of their everyday schedule.

Make it Fun!

• One way to make brushing your teeth more fun is to include a song your child loves in their new routine, or by doing a fun, silly dance while a song is playing. This connotation between music and tooth brushing will make those dreaded two minutes go by much faster. Just make sure they are actually brushing their teeth and not just using their toothbrush as a microphone!
• Frequently swapping out or changing the toothpaste flavour to more fun flavours such as berry, chocolate, or watermelon to keep things new and exciting.
• Reward regular tooth brushing and flossing periodically with stickers or little rewards, like toys, junk food, movie nights, etc.
• Make going to the dentist an enjoyable and positive experience by going somewhere fun after their appointment, like a movie, or let them pick out a toy at the store after.
• Let them pick out their toothbrush and make sure it’s the right size, shape, and style that will work best for them in order to keep it a habit.
• Using an app such as Disney Magic Timer app by Oral-B or Toothsavers can help keep kids intrigued and entertained for the two minutes that they brush their teeth.
• Use videos! There are lots of online videos that kids can watch and play along to that promote teeth brushing and flossing. A quick internet or YouTube search for “tooth brushing” is all a parent needs.

Help Them Improve

Young kids should not be left alone to brush their teeth as they require support and encouragement to do a thorough job. Parents should do the majority of the brushing and flossing but can definitely allow their children to try some on their own. Inspection is key too, as kids will often focus on the front teeth only, and neglect the back ones.

Learn by Example

Kids learn best by example and will benefit the most by seeing their parents also practising good oral hygiene by going for their regular dental appointments and checkups, twice daily brushing, flossing, and eating an oral microbiome-healthy diet by minimising sugar and laying low on diet sodas or processed food. You could also participate in the song, music and games as well, to make it a full family experience.

Finding a dentist and dental hygienists who are great with kids will also go a long way with establishing a healthy relationship with going to the dentist. Simpli Dental will be happy to assist you and your family’s oral health needs at their Regina, Saskatoon, and Calgary locations. Contact us today for more info!