Three Ways To Boost Your Young Child's Engagement About Dental Care
Posted on: 22 February 2016
As children grow up, they will increasingly understand the importance of visiting the dentist and taking care of their teeth with regular brushing and flossing. At a young age, however, it's difficult to convey this important message to your children. As a result, it's necessary for you to take steps to increase your child's engagement about brushing his or her teeth. Even if your child feels resistant to doing so, continuing to address this issue until brushing becomes an easy part of the child's routine increases his or her likelihood of having healthy teeth through adolescence and into adulthood. One of the best ways to make brushing seem like less of a task is to increase the fun factor. Here are three ways to do it.
Turn It Into A Game
Making a game out of any household task can be an effective way to increase a child's engagement of the activity, and tooth care is no different. While it's important that you don't let the game get in the way of brushing the teeth properly, you can develop multiple ways of making this daily activity fun. One method is to draw a seven-day grid on a poster board and place it in the bathroom. Each time the child brushes his or her teeth at least twice a day, you place one sticker in the grid. At the end of the week, you can celebrate if the grid is full.
Read Dental Care Books
If your child enjoys having books read to him or her, incorporate a book about dental care. These books are easy to find in stores and libraries, and like many children's books, they reinforce a positive message in a light, fun manner. Such books often feature characters that learn the importance of brushing their teeth and have fun while doing it. Reading your child books of this nature is a subtle way to reinforce this healthy habit and provides a second voice that supports the message that you might be constantly preaching.
Rely On Mobile Apps
If your child is digitally savvy even at a young age, he or she might enjoy learning through the use of games on your tablet. Take advantage of this situation by downloading a child's brushing app. There are a variety of such apps to choose from, and each strives to encourage your child to practice proper dental care. Children can play games, watch cartoon videos and operate timers that alert them once they've spent long enough brushing their teeth.
If you're struggling to persuade your child to brush his or her teeth properly, a dentist like those at Howley & Basara Family Dentistry PC may be able to offer additional advice personalized to your unique situation.
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