How does your child feel about brushing their teeth? It may be that your child loves to brush, or it may be a daily battle before bedtime. This week, we have three ideas that could change the way your child feels about brushing. If your child doesn’t like brushing their teeth, these could be just what you need to turn brushing from a battle to a fun part of your morning and evening routine.
Try a Kid’s Spin Brush
Meet Reed. Reed is an awesome little guy that didn’t look forward to brushing. Who’s got time for brushing when there are so many toys to be playing with?!? That’s how it was until one day everything changed: he got a Sonicare for Kids electric toothbrush. He was so excited about getting that new toothbrush – he couldn’t wait to open the box and get home to try it out! This picture says it all – he may not have been a fan of brushing before, but now he loves to brush with his Sonicare!
Get a Smile Spotter
It’s Christmas time and we all know about Elf on the Shelf. How great are those?!? Smile Spotters are a similar concept to encourage good brushing habits all year long. The package includes either a boy or girl Smile Spotter doll to keep in the bathroom as well as a book to read together that explains how your smile spotter reports back to the Toothfairy.
These are brand new and our clinical staff is really excited that they are finally available! It’s a great concept and we feel like they are going to be a fun and effective way to encourage kids to brush.
If you’d like a Smile Spotter for your family, Smile Spotters are available for purchase at Children’s Dentistry of Knoxville.
Download An App
There are several great, free apps you can download to your phone that making brushing time into a game! Most have timers to ensure kids are brushing long enough, and they have features to keep kids entertained and engaged for the full time it takes to properly clean their teeth. Our favorite apps are The Disney Brushing Timer from Oral B and Sparkly from Sonicare. You can check them out and download them here:
Hopefully making small changes to your routine can lead to big results to help your child brush!
Here are a few basics to always remember on brushing:
- Kids should brush twice a day, just like an adult.
- Always brush gently in big, soft circles and not back and forth.
- It’s great to let your children brush and floss their own teeth, but they will need help from an adult until at least age 8.
- Children need to floss too! Age 2 is a great time to start this habit.
- Have your children’s teeth cleaned and examined by a pediatric dentist every 6 months.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call Children’s Dentistry of Knoxville at 865-357-5560.
