The Secret to Getting Kids to Brush Their Teeth

Nighttime can be tough for parents, especially with smaller children who don’t like to brush their teeth. Getting your child to brush their teeth (and brush them well) can feel impossible, especially after a hard day. But, helping your kids brush their teeth doesn’t have to be a painful experience. Use these tips to make brushing fun.

Make it Musical
Kids love to sing and dance, and adding music to your bedtime routine can get them more enthusiastic about it. Since proper brushing takes two full minutes, try playing a song about that length and challenging your child to brush through the entire song.

Add Some Dental Trivia
Asking your child questions and rewarding them for correct answers can motivate them to brush their teeth without complaint. Questions like, “true or false, teeth have something called ‘enamel’ to protect them,” or “how often should we visit the dentist?” can both educate your child and get them excited about dental care.

Conduct Experiments
What tastes better, toothpaste #1 or toothpaste #2? Which do you like better, a standard toothbrush, or electric? Or, get even more dedicated to the possibilities with an eggs-periment. Eggshells react similarly to teeth when introduced to certain substances. For a real experiment, hard-boil a few eggs and put them in different liquids, including things like milk, water, and soda. Leave the eggs for a few hours, and when you return, see what affects the liquid has had on the egg (the soda-soaked egg should be soft and squishy). This also helps to reinforce the importance of brushing to keep our teeth healthy.

You can teach your child that brushing can be fun, and so can visiting the doctor. To schedule an appointment for your child with Dr. David Sudimack at Dental Associates, call us at 575-522-7320, or visit us in Las Cruces, New Mexico.