6 Fun Ways to Get Kids to Brush Their Teeth
Sometimes, getting kids to brush their teeth is a challenge. Mornings can be hectic and evenings, everyone’s tired. But good daily oral hygiene for kids is super important. So, how can you encourage your kids to brush and floss every day? Your pediatric dentist in Houston, TX, says, “Make it fun!”
Here, your Houston, TX pediatric dentists, Dr. Kristi Parker and Dr. Sana Nasir at Park Dentistry, offer six suggestions for getting kids to brush their teeth for great oral health.
1. A TOOTHBRUSHING APP TO GAMIFY ORAL CARE FOR YOUR KIDS
There’s an app for that! Not sure which one will work for making oral hygiene a breeze for your kids? Check out:
- Brush DJ: Press “play” on brushing to the beat. This app works with your device, smartphone, streaming service, or music on your cloud. Put together a brushing playlist with favorite songs so the minutes fly by. Brush DJ also has reminders for daily flossing, brushing your teeth twice a day, and visiting the dentist.
- Chomper Chums: Looking for a way to make brushing teeth fun for toddlers? Chomper Chums has a two-minute toothbrush timer and animal characters to make learning how to brush a fun activity.
2. FOR THE WEE ONES: PRE-SCHOOL BOPS TO BRUSH TO
The American Dental Association recommends two minutes of brushing to adequately remove plaque, food debris, and bacteria from every surface of every tooth. In fact, a 2019 systematic review in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene found that brushing for two minutes removed twice as much plaque as brushing for only one minute.
But two minutes of brushing can be hard for wiggly preschoolers and a common concern of their adults is how to make brushing teeth fun for their toddlers. Our suggestion? Play (or sing!) a toddler-friendly song for brushing teeth… and it doesn’t even have to be about teeth:
- “This is the Way We Brush Our Teeth” from Little Baby Bum
- “The Ants Go Marching One by One” (Counting 10 ants down to 1)
- “Old MacDonald Had A Farm” (Break up the brushing by letting your child say the animal every time)
3. TEETH BRUSHING GAMES
Teeth brushing games are a great way to make oral hygiene for kids more interactive:
Copycat: Set a tooth brushing timer for 30 seconds. When the timer goes off, make a silly face your child has to copy or have them make a face you have to copy. Repeat for all sections of the mouth to reach your two-minute brushing goal.
Superhero: Your child is a superhero tasked with banishing the Sugar Bugs from their teeth. Set a timer for two minutes, and get your child to attack those Sugar Bugs with their trusty toothbrush. Break up the two minutes by letting your kid do a superhero pose after brushing each section.
4. REWARDS & STICKER CHARTS
External rewards can be an excellent motivator for kids. A reward system or sticker chart for completing two-minute teeth-brushing sessions and daily flossing may encourage a child who won't brush their teeth.
5. ORAL HYGIENE TOOLS SPECIFICALLY FOR KIDS
Teeth brushing for kids is more fun with oral care supplies they like, so let your kids pick out the toothbrush,
fluoride toothpaste, and floss that appeals to them. You can even try a kids’
electric toothbrush!
Pro tip: If your child finds handling floss tricky, kids’ floss picks work well for smaller hands.
6. CHANGE UP WHERE YOU BRUSH AND FLOSS
The bathroom is the most common place for teeth brushing, but a change of scenery might help make brushing teeth more fun for your kids. In warmer months, treat it like camping and brush outside. Or try a toothbrushing tour if you have multiple bathrooms: Start in one bathroom, walk around the house while brushing, then make a pit stop to spit or finish brushing in another bathroom.
MAKING PEDIATRIC ORAL CARE FUN IN HOUSTON, TX
As your board-certified Houston pediatric dentists, Dr. Parker and Dr. Nasir are all about providing high-quality pediatric dental care enjoyable and comfortable for kids. That’s why our office is a fun, safe, and friendly environment for kids and their adults.
Need more ideas to level up your kids' at-home oral hygiene? Set up your next check-up and cleaning, and we’ll talk about more fun ways to get your kids to brush their teeth better!
