Helping your children to form healthy dental habits can sometimes be difficult. Making dental hygiene and dental health practices fun can make things easier for both you and your child. Our dentist and team in Austin, Texas, are happy to offer advice for making oral care fun for you and your child.
Tracking Time
As you know, brushing and flossing every day is important. However, many do not brush for long enough. To teach your child to brush his or her teeth for two minutes twice daily, keep track of tooth-brushing time in fun ways. A two-minute sand timer is a fun way to do this. Your child could flip the timer over and then begin to brush. Another way to keep track is by having your child listen to a two-minute song or hum a favorite tune while brushing.
Stickers
Make a chart with your child with spaces for every day of the month. You can include pictures of teeth, toothbrushes, and other oral health pictures if you like. Give your child stickers to put on the poster each time they brush their teeth.
Dental Visit Reward
In addition to brushing and flossing, regular dental appointments are important to your child’s dental health. These visits should occur at least every six months. To reward your child and to make them more excited about visiting the dentist, consider surprising your child after the appointment. Going to the park, buying him or her a healthy treat, or going to the library to check out a book are some fun rewards to consider.
Making dental health care fun for your child is possible! Contact Westlake Pediatric Dentistry at 512-732-0022 today for more ideas and to set up a visit with Dr. Kyle Raymond.
