Good dental care for kids is crucial. The sooner they get into good habits surrounding their oral health, the more those habits will stick and the healthier they will be.

But getting your children to regularly brush and floss can feel like you’re paddling against the current. You try really hard, but never seem to get anywhere.

Tips for Better Dental Care for Kids

Still, you should keep trying to encourage good dental care habits. Here are a few things you can try.

1. Start Early & Set a Good Example

If children feel that brushing, flossing, and other dental cleaning are part of everyday life, then they are more likely to adopt the habit. Talk to your dentist about when you can start brushing your children’s teeth. Make sure your children see you brushing and flossing too.

2. Buy a Few Different Children’s Toothbrushes & Toothpastes

When it’s time to brush, children will be more engaged if they actually choose which toothbrush and toothpaste to use.

3. Visit the Dentist as Part of a Fun Outing

First, the same applies for visits to the dentist as for other healthy dental habits; start early. Instead of making the dental visit the only destination, make it part of a larger more fun excursion. Go to the movies, or amusement park, or anywhere else your children enjoy visiting, before or after the dental visit. But don’t use the fun place as a ‘bribe’ to visit the dentist. That tells children it’s something to tolerate versus something they need to do for their health.

4. Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

Involve your children in the grocery shopping, even give them a list of foods they can choose from to buy themselves. Encourage them to plant and harvest vegetables and fruits. Get rid of unhealthy snacks from your home. The healthier the foods your children eat are, the healthier their teeth will be.

Talk to Your Dentist. Dentists have been there before. They know what you’re going through and have even more suggestions to help with dental care for your kids. Contact us at My Dental Care to learn more.