Every parent wants to instil a series of good habits in their children. These can range from learning appropriate manners to taking responsibility for their chores. Have you remembered to include good oral health habits on the list?
It’s with this in mind that many Australian parents look for simple but effective ways to implement kids dental practices in their daily routines. It’s difficult for children to understand why they need to eat less sugar or brush their teeth twice a day, which means it can be a daily struggle to get the message across.
Proven Tips to Create Healthy Little Teeth
There are a handful of benefits to good children’s oral health. Strong, properly formed teeth and gums enable children to speak and chew properly. With a bright and attractive smile, your little ones will also feel more confident about smiling and laughing in front of others. Our dental experts have a few tips to help you point your kids in the right direction.
1. Education Begins Early
The first step to getting your children familiar with dental care is to start as early as possible. Our experts recommend cleaning your baby’s gums with a soft, damp cloth after each feeding.
While your little ones won’t realise or understand what you’re doing, they will start learning that something needs to be done in their mouths after they eat. This will make it easier to swap the cloth for a baby toothbrush as they grow.
2. Children Like to Copy their Parent’s Behaviour
Ever noticed how little ones have this uncanny ability to mimic your behaviour at the most inopportune times? Well, you can use their love of mimicking your behaviour to your advantage. Set up a routine by brushing your teeth twice daily and letting them join you.
When they see that you take your own dental hygiene seriously, they’re more likely to do the same. Use this time to discuss the importance of oral health, why teeth are important and how to keep them healthy.
3. Find Ways to Make It Fun
Another top way to get your smaller children to buy into dental care is to make the experience as fun as possible. Start by letting them choose their own toothbrushes. Be sure to look out for cartoon characters and colourful ones that you know they’ll find appealing. Accompany this with different flavoured toothpastes.
Create a chart that uses stickers and stars to track brushing and flossing. Set up a target which can be rewarded when achieved. Look for songs that can turn daily dental care into a game rather than a chore. Encourage bigger kids to teach smaller siblings what they’ve learnt. Reward their “supervisory” skills.
4. Limit Sugary Foods and Drinks
Limiting sugary foods and drinks is essential for sustainable oral health. However, this can be challenging when your kids feel as though they’re being punished by not being allowed to splurge on their favourite sweet treats.
The trick here is to replace sugary treats with healthier alternatives. Encourage your children to eat carrot sticks, apple slices, and other fresh fruit and veggies as snacks. Look for healthy ways to add flavour to these snacks to make them more appealing.
Encourage them to drink water throughout the day. This will not only keep them hydrated, but the water will also help wash food debris out of their mouths. Be sure to educate your kids on cavities, the causes, and the best ways to prevent them.
5. Set Up Regular Dentist Appointments
Don’t wait until your children have a dental problem to take them to the dentist. This will only create a fear of going when they need to. Going for regular checkups will help prevent any issue from getting worse.
Dentists often go the extra mile to make kids feel as comfortable as possible with having their teeth looked at. Encourage your children to ask questions about the processes, equipment, and other general concerns they may have.
Make an effort to put them at ease by answering their questions as effectively as possible. Use pictures, videos, and real-life success stories to get the message across. It’s essential to answer these questions in a way that’s age-appropriate so that they can understand.
6. Patience Goes a Long Way
It’s important to remember that dental habits, like everything else your children are learning, take time to develop and stick properly. This will require patience on your part. Be sure to never show your discouragement if they are struggling to create the right habits. By sticking to your routine, they’ll soon get the hang of it.
Don’t only show and explain what you want them to do, but also guide their hands in gentle motions to get the hang of it. With some kids, one or two demonstrations may do the trick. Others may require repeated demonstrations.
Final Thoughts
Combining good dental habits with a regular dentist plan will go a long way toward helping your children learn all they need to develop healthy teeth and gums. Teach your children that looking after their teeth is as essential as the rest of their bodies. Be sure to address any issues as early as possible to avoid long-term damage. Your children will appreciate your efforts when they’re older!