Secrets To Lure Your Child To Brush Daily

Secrets to Lure Your Child to Brush Daily Parenting is not easy. It can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to raising a child. A child’s emotions could be a challenge in terms of building healthy habits like brushing teeth routinely. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have reported that 20% of children have neglected oral care and have dental caries. Most of these cases are due to improper brushing to no brushing at all.

Here we’ll talk about the 5 secret tips and tricks to lure your child to brush routinely:

1. Plan And Begin Early

Incorporating an action early has a huge impact on the habit development of a child.

“A child’s mind is not a container to be filled but rather a fire to be kindled.”- Dorothea Brande

A child’s brain acts as a computer. A software (thought) is downloaded till the age of 7. Each thought is reflected in the actions of the child. After the age of 7, that downloaded thought becomes a habit. Therefore, you must start on the habit development of your child as early as you can.

2. Do It Right

Habits are effective when the core actions are done in the right way. The most neglected core actions, in terms of tooth brushing, are brushing time and technique.

Brushing 2 times a day for 2 minutes each must be done, as per ADA standard in the following way:

• Toothbrush placement at a 45-degree angle, opposite to the gums.

• The gentle back and forth strokes on all the surfaces of a tooth; mainly interior, exterior, and biting surfaces.

• Vertical up and down strokes on the interior surfaces of front teeth.

From the beginning of habit development, electric toothbrushes must be used by your child. This is because their use would lead to effective cleaning, more plaque removal, and fewer stains. Moreover, the child would get used to the electric devices from the start. Companies like FOSOO have multiple such tooth brushing devices that are effective and can easily be ordered online.

3. Be An Example For Your Child

Children tend to copy what elders do on a day-to-day basis. Statistical studies have shown that 92.1% of children developed a tooth brushing habit from their parents. 3.2 percent of children learned brushing themselves. 4 percent learned at school while 0.8 percent learned brushing at a dental office. Therefore, brushing teeth must be done by all the adults of the family.

Brushing teeth as a family activity makes brushing much more fun for you and your child. This would not only contribute to hygiene but would also allow you to relax and connect with your child on an emotional level.

4. Make It A Fun Activity

Kids are always intrigued by joyful activities. There are multiple ways of making tooth brushing a fun activity for your child.

A. Musical Brushing: A dance party on your kid’s favorite song can make brushing a fun activity. Along with habit building, dance activities will build stamina, muscle strength, and flexibility for your child.

B. Usage of Modern Technology: Kids think of electric toothbrushes as toys. This keeps them engaged in brushing, thereby, contributing to habit development and effective tooth cleaning.

C. Pick a Colorful Toothbrush: Children are choosy when it comes to the selection of items. For toothbrushes, this problem can be solved by picking pink electric toothbrushes for your child.

D. Brushing a Toys Teeth: Brushing a toy’s teeth could prove to be very effective in habit development. This is because children love to mimic what they do. Encouraging your child to brush a toy’s teeth could contribute to positive reinforcing behavior.

5. Reward

Set tooth brushing goals for your child, similar to the reward charts of the classroom. In addition, add treats to instill positive behavior. One thing must be made very clear in terms of “treat”. Positive reinforcement and bribery are often confused. Positive reinforcement is used to encourage good behavior whereas the latter is used to stop negative behavior.

What Could Go Wrong If Tooth Brushing Is Neglected?

1. Risk of Dental Caries:

The absence of the brushing habit can lead to dental decay. Here’s how.

• A thin layer of plaque and biofilm accumulate on the surface of the tooth.

• If not removed by proper brushing, the growth of bacteria occurs.

• These bacteria release acids which destroy the enamel.

2. Gum Disease: Gum disease starts with the onset of poor oral hygiene. Bleeding is considered a hallmark in gingival diseases; the most common being, the inflammation of gums.

3. Bone loss: Improper bushing initiates a cycle of irritation in the gums. If neglected, this could progress to gingivitis. Gingivitis can progress into a severe form of periodontitis which starts with the loss of bone of the tooth socket.

4. Risk of Dementia: Literature review of current neurology and neuroscience reports suggests that poor oral hygiene can increase the risk of dementia. Therefore, it’s mandatory to take care of your child’s oral hygiene which would start with the habit of brushing teeth routinely.

5. Risk of Heart Problems: A study of 2009, says that there is a decreased prevalence of heart failure and atrial fibrillation in people with good oral hygiene. Thus it won’t be wrong to say,

“Bad Teeth equals Bad Health”

Conclusion

If you do not instill the habit of brushing in your child, it could eventually result in oral health and systemic health problems. There are multiple tips and tricks which can be employed to develop the daily habit of tooth brushing in your child. These have been talked about in the preceding sections.