Parents go through many daily battles with their children to help them complete necessary tasks. Such as going to bed or eating their vegetables! Though these may seem daunting and troublesome, they are important for every child’s early development and education. Dental hygiene is commonly one of those problems and should never be overlooked.
Believe it or not, teaching a child to brush their teeth and making it a part of their routine is easier than you may think, it requires an early approach and consistency! Here are some tips and ideas to help you overcome this feat.
- Lead by example
That’s right… There is no better place to start than by showing them how it is done! As the saying goes, “Monkey see, Monkey do”.
Children like to copy their parents in many of their habits and activities, tooth brushing is not any different. Let them watch you when you brush your teeth and make a point of what areas of the mouth you clean. Teach them to focus on brushing the ‘WINK’ of the tooth, which is where the ‘White (enamel)’ meets the ‘Pink (gums)’. Make it clear and use slow movements when showing how to clean the different surfaces of all the teeth. When you’re finished, flash your biggest smile to the mirror to show that you are proud of your work and showcase the reward of good dental hygiene.
- Let them brush your teeth
Brushing your child’s teeth for them can prove to be very difficult. Though uncomfortable, allowing them to complete the same activity on your teeth is worth it! It builds trust and shows the child that it could be a lot of fun. Put on your best acting shoes and show them that you’re having fun whilst they are brushing your teeth. The next time you want to brush theirs, they will be more open to it as you trusted them to brush yours.
- Reward them for brushing
Every child love rewards for doing something correct. Positive reinforcement is better achieved through a reward-based system that will condition your child to repeat said behaviour. In this case, brushing. Rewards may vary and should be unique to your child. Use small simple rewards such as stickers or extra play time. These are great to be used in conjunction with brushing calendars that could be made from home or bought online. Use bigger rewards after the child has brushed every day for a week, then an even bigger reward, for a month.
- Listen to music
Take advantage of some of your child’s favourite music. These can be from their favourite toys, movies, cartoons, or simply the radio. Find a song that lasts at least 2 minutes and play it for your child whilst they are brushing, show them how to brush to the rhythm and dance around the bathroom! And when the music stops at 2 minutes, they are finished.
- Create a narrative
Children have a wild and visual imagination. Create a story or narrative for why they are brushing their teeth. Introduce the villain of the story (such as sugar bugs, tooth bugs, etc) and make it unique, then introduce the superhero and their superpower. These could be the toothbrush and toothpaste, respectively. You could even make your child feel like a superhero themselves by tying a cape around them! Feel free to come up with your own unique narrative involving characters relatable to your child and a story that is logical to their level of understanding. Be careful not to make it seem like their mouth is crawling with actual bugs!
- Try different toothpastes
Most children are very sensitive to taste. That’s why it is very difficult to convince them to eat their vegetables! Hence, it’s not news that most children hate mint. Some go as far as describing it as “Spicy”!
At Bumbl, our children’s toothpastes are 0% mint, and 100% fun. Our delicious flavours create a fun and tasty experience for your child, every time they brush their teeth! Remember, reward the behaviour and it will be repeated. At Bumbl, the toothpaste will keep them coming back to brush, and will help them remove the rush from brush.
Joseph Hanna, Oral Health Therapist and Co-Founder