Teeth brushing is an essential hygiene habit, but how can you make it fun for kids? Here's how to teach your kid to brush their teeth from a children's dentist.

Did you know your children should start brushing their teeth as soon as their first one appears? It may seem too early when that first tooth pops out of their little pink gums. But it's never too soon for proper dental hygiene.

As children get older, it's up to parents to model good dental hygiene behaviors so that children can emulate them. When you teach your kid to brush their teeth early, it sets them up for good dental hygiene routines in the future.

But how do you make children want to learn how to brush their teeth? By making it fun, of course. Here are seven ways that make learning to brush their teeth fun for children from an expert dentist in Mexico.

1. Add Some Music

Kids love to dance and sing, so adding music to a dental hygiene routine is a great way to make brushing their teeth more fun. Music is also a great way to teach kids the proper length of time to brush their teeth.

Kids should brush their teeth for at least two full minutes, which is the approximate length of most songs. So choose a song that they love to get down to and play it to signal when to start brushing teeth.

Allow them to dance around the bathroom and sing a little bit as long they brush their teeth the whole time. The necessary two minutes will fly by with this method.

2. Incorporate Their Toys

Playing pretend is great for building kids' imagination, and you can use that to your advantage with dental hygiene. Incorporating their toys can help boost their imagination and improve their dental hygiene.

After your kids brush their teeth, tell them to brush their doll or stuffed animal's teeth so they can have clean teeth too. You can use a toy toothbrush set or a toothbrush without toothpaste on it.

That will allow them to learn and reinforce the importance of brushing their teeth. And giving them the opportunity to keep their toys' teeth just as healthy is a fun way to teach them proper dental hygiene.

3. Make It a Storytime

If your child loves a good story, you can make teeth brushing more fun by making it a storytime too. While they brush their teeth, read them a story that will last at least two minutes.

You can find children's books about brushing teeth that will help reinforce the importance of proper hygiene. You may also want to come up with your own story each night to keep storytime from becoming repetitive.

Allow your child to participate by letting them choose the details of the story, like the protagonist and the setting. As they move through the steps of their teeth brushing routine, the story can move forward.

4. Play a Game

Framing necessary tasks as a game is one of the best ways to get kids excited about doing something. And that still holds true with brushing their teeth. Make a game of dental hygiene that gives kids a goal of winning each night.

Think about fighting off plaque monsters with dental tools like floss and a toothbrush. Teach your kids that they can combat these monsters every morning and night by brushing their teeth and flossing.

It's also a good opportunity to teach your kids about plaque and why they should brush their teeth every day to combat it.

5. Offer Incentives

Many parents find that incentives are a great motivator to help reinforce good habits in kids. Incentive charts that include completing their dental hygiene requirements to earn a prize can encourage kids to brush their teeth.

Each night, children can earn a point for every time they correctly completely their dental hygiene habits, including brushing their teeth, flossing, and using mouthwash.

Once they have reached a certain number of points, they can pick out a prize. Continue this as they learn to complete their dental hygiene routine every night.

However, you do want to be careful with this method. Be sure to encourage proper dental hygiene even if there isn't a physical prize to be won.

6. Emulate Good Habits

Your children's dentist will often encourage you as a parent to model good dental hygiene. Kids are always absorbing what they see and use that information to understand the world.

If they see you have good dental habits, they'll want to emulate your behaviors. So take the time to brush your teeth with your child. Show them the right way and allow them to copy you.

This can be a fun bonding experience as your child gets to learn a new skill, and you get to spend a little quality time together.

7. Push For Independence

Once you've established good dental hygiene in your children and they're starting to get the hang of the routine, push for independence. Of course, you can check to keep them accountable the first few times they're independent.

Start pushing them to be able to time themselves, pick out their own music, or choose their own story to repeat. This is especially important as they get older. You can have them tell you when they're finished or wait outside for them.

Being able to complete the routine without you watching is what will become the foundation of their future dental habits. A good foundation from a young age will mean a healthier mouth in the future.

How to Teach Your Kid to Brush Their Teeth the Fun Way

A bright, healthy smile will go a long way in the future. So, it's best to teach kids how to maintain their dental hygiene from an early age. Instilling those values will ingrain the importance of maintaining healthy dental hygiene.

When you teach your kid to brush their teeth the fun way, they get excited about their dental hygiene. Set your children up for the future with a healthier mouth now.

Take your child to a high-quality pediatric dentist around Tijuana, Mexico. Our experts at Dentiland are ready to give your children their brightest smiles yet. Book an appointment with us today!

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