As a parent, you want to instill the importance of dental hygiene in your child from a young age. Yet, many little ones are not thrilled by the idea of brushing their teeth. To get your child excited about these at-home teeth cleaning sessions, there are many tricks you can try to turn the task into a fun activity. Here are some ideas to get you started.

3 Methods to Make Brushing Teeth Fun for Children

1. Chart Their Progress

One fun way to reinforce the importance of brushing twice daily is to set up a progress chart. Print out a calendar for your child and providing them with stickers to apply after every brushing. You might reward them for a full week or month’s worth of brushing with a special activity, such as a trip to the zoo or extra play time. Continued success and early teeth cleaning appointments can be rewarded with bigger prizes, such as a small toy.

2. Make It Family Time

Young children look up to their parents and mimic some of their behaviors. Thus, letting your child see you brush, floss, and go for teeth cleanings is an excellent way to get them interested in their own dental hygiene. You can also make brushing a family activity. Consider having family members take turns picking a song to play for brushing, or give your child an important task, such as distributing toothpaste.

3. Provide Fun Supplies

Nowadays, there are more dental care tools available than ever before. Many products are made especially for children, which have multiple benefits. For one, children may be more open to the idea of brushing with a toothbrush that’s sized appropriately for their mouths. Additionally, fun toothpaste flavors and characters can make products like toothpaste more appealing as well. Consider taking your little one shopping with you to pick out special supplies.

Another important way to help your child warm to the idea of dental care is to choose a family dentist who welcomes patients of all ages. Susan Kleier, DMD of Lexington, KY, provides dental care for all ages, and makes services like teeth cleanings and X-rays as hassle-free as possible for her littlest patients. Browse through the dentist’s full list of services online or call (859) 225-1188 to schedule an appointment.