Dental hygiene is one of the most important aspects of children’s health. Once their milk teeth have fallen out, they will only have one adult set of teeth throughout their lives. This means that it is important to ensure that these teeth are looked after and remain healthy for as long as possible. Starting kid’s dental routines early also increases the likelihood of having healthy teeth and continuing these hygiene regimes into adulthood.
Make the Dentist Fun
Visiting the dentist is one of the most important elements of caring for your teeth, as dental surgeries have the equipment that is needed to spot and solve tooth problems such as decay. Dental suppliers such as Kent Express provide dentists with equipment ranging from small utensils to dental baths that can give your child’s teeth the care that they need. However, more than a third of people in the UK are scared of the dentist, and this fear often begins to appear in childhood.
If you want to avoid your child having a fear of the dentist in adulthood, you should begin visiting the dentist on a regular basis as soon as you can; the ideal time to start taking your child is when their first tooth grows through. However, visiting the dentist can still be a traumatic event for young children. Then, you should try your best to make visiting the dentist fun. Dentists normally provide stickers or other incentives for children, and you can try other rewards such as taking your child to the park or buying them a gift afterwards.
Play Teeth Brushing Games
Children should brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day, using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and a soft brush. However, many children struggle to concentrate on brushing their teeth properly. If you want to encourage your child to brush their teeth properly, you should consider playing games when brushing your teeth. These can include games such as songs while your brush or using dental games apps to boost their enjoyment.
Reward Children for Good Dental Hygiene
Children adapt well to targets and goals, and rewarding your child for brushing their teeth with something that they want is a great way to incentivise brushing their teeth. Rewards can differ between gifts, days out, or even just a fun snack or a trip to a café. To track their progress towards their targets, you should create star charts, which can help both you and your child to see how far they have until they achieve their goals. This then acts as visual encouragement for your child.
Check Their Dental Routine
You should also check that your kids are performing their dental hygiene routine correctly by supervising their brushing time until they are at least 7 years old. To help them to know how to brush correctly, you should brush your teeth at the same time as them, which can help them to copy the correct brushing method.
