Cavities and gum disease may be the furthest thing from your kid’s mind,  and that may result in poor oral hygiene. Fortunately, as a parent, there are many different ways to make dental care a more exciting experience for your children. If it’s a challenge to get your little one to brush and floss, here are five different strategies to try.

5 Fun Ways to Help Children Appreciate Oral Hygiene

1. Make It a Rewarding Mission

Every time your child brushes and flosses on schedule, give them a sticker to track their progress. Once they collect a certain amount of stickers, let your child cash them in for a simple reward — such as a play-day in the park or a fun arts and crafts activity. By introducing incentives, you’re making good dental care a habit.

2. Find the Best Brush

Letting your child pick their brush can help them feel more empowered to practice good oral hygiene. For instance, they might pick one that features their favorite color or cartoon character. Once they make a personal connection to the brush, they may be more inclined to keep their teeth and gums clean.

3. Play Some Music

You should always brush your teeth for two minutes at a time. However, it’s common for kids to rush the brush and stop too early. To keep your child on schedule, play a song they love for two minutes so they know to keep brushing.

4. Clean Teeth Together

As your child’s role model, it’s essential to practice good dental care yourself. To set a good example, make it a point to brush and floss together as a family at the same times every day. Eventually, this routine may become one of your kid’s favorite family activities.

5. Pinpoint the Plaque

Kids don’t always understand the importance of brushing and flossing because they can’t see the bacterial plaque that contributes to cavities and gum disease. But with the help of specialized toothpaste, you can help shed light on this problem. Today, certain products will produce a unique color to show where plaque is, allowing your child to see what they need to brush and floss away.

Getting your child to care about their oral health is easy when you’re a patient of Diane M Evans DDS. Serving Rush, NY, this family dentist is committed to providing comfortable care for patients of all ages. Through routine visits, your child will not only gain the treatment they need to keep their mouth healthy; they’ll also learn how to enhance their overall oral hygiene capabilities. For more details on these services, visit this local dental office online. To schedule a convenient appointment, call (585) 321-1460.