How to Get Your Child Brushing Their Teeth

Encouraging your child to develop good oral hygiene habits will set them up for success in life. They will be able to take the initiative to take care of their teeth and learn how to spot the signs that something might be wrong.

In this guide, we’re exploring the steps that parents can take to ensure their children learn health habits for life. Through early supervision of their brushing habits, you can set your child up with good habits that will last a lifetime.

How do you encourage children to brush?

Make sure you emphasise the benefits of brushing teeth at least twice a day and explain the consequences of avoiding this practice. When you are brushing your teeth, ask your child to do the same and lower your face to their level and do this simultaneously.

Show them how they can brush in a circle and compare that to wiping windows or vehicle wheels rolling. Use the front and back and top and bottom technique too. In the beginning, you can brush alongside your child so they can follow your lead. Some children will take to the process with little resistance, whereas others might become agitated by the process.

It’s important to stick with it, remain patient and try a few different approaches so that your child does not associate brushing their teeth with conflict. The last thing you want to do is become angry, as this will develop a negative association.

Giving your child a choice

Another great way to develop this routine is to ask them to choose their toothpaste and toothbrush. Children’s toothpaste is available in different flavours and designs, so they can feel involved in the selection process. They will be more inclined to care for their teeth if they feel like they have a say in the matter.

It is easy to find toothpastes featuring popular characters and superheroes, so choosing one shouldn’t be a problem. For variety, buy them a few different kinds of toothpaste and let them use different kinds of toothpaste every once in a while. Of course, make sure that the toothpaste is safe and made from a reputable brand in the industry.

Building their independence

When your child turns about two years old, let them squeeze some toothpaste on the brush and ask them to try and clean their own teeth. Don’t be too concerned about the mess, because it is very simple and easy to clean toothpaste leftovers.

Let them brush their teeth while wearing their same clothes from the day so you don’t have to worry about drips getting on to their clean nightwear.

After your child has brushed their teeth, ask if you can check and run over any areas they might have missed. This is an important step, as children may focus on small areas of the mouth and miss whole sections.

Making brushing into a game

If you want to be more creative, you can turn this process into a game. Devoting two minutes to cleaning should be the minimum period of time dedicated to this procedure. Bring a timer into the bathroom and tell them if they manage to reach two minutes they are the winners.

Brush your teeth together and encourage them throughout the process. After the two minutes, inspect their teeth and gums and praise them for their work. Remind them that they are brushing their teeth for their own benefit, not yours.

You can reinforce this message by telling them that they must be so proud of themselves, rather than placing the focus on how proud you are. This is a simple trick that helps to build your child’s self esteem.

Getting the dentist involved

Children often respond well to authority figures offering guidance and support. When they start to visit the dentist, let your child take the lead when answering questions. They can tell the dentist how often they brush and what they use to brush their teeth.

This will build their independence and remind them that their teeth are their own responsibility. This is essential for building long-lasting habits that will serve them well into adulthood.

Follow up with healthy diet

If you are concerned about your child’s oral health and you are struggling to get them to brush regularly, then one of the easiest ways to limit damage is to approach the problem with a healthy diet.

Your child’s diet will have a significant impact on their oral health. Cut out fizzy drinks, as the acids will attack your child’s tooth enamel and increase the risk of tooth decay. You can also limit sugary sweets or eliminate them entirely.

Also be wary of seemingly healthy snacks like raisins. These are very sticky and sugary and can get caught between the teeth and lead to tooth decay.

Final thoughts on encouraging good brushing habits

We recognise that getting your child to brush their teeth can be a struggle. Some children take the freedom and responsibility in their stride and respond well to positive reinforcement. Others may fight back against the rules and decide they don’t care about their oral health.

Getting your children to brush their teeth can be a problem so the more fun and sense of competition you can inject into the process, the easier it will be. While there may be some parenting battles that you choose to sidestep, oral health should not be one of them.

If you are struggling to encourage your child to brush their teeth, get in touch with our team. We can offer guidance and support to ensure that your child’s teeth aren’t negatively impacted by their reluctance to brush. For more advice about effective dental care for children, please contact us now.