How To Make Sure Your Children are Brushing

Making sure that your kids are brushing can be a real challenge, especially when they’re still very young. Fortunately, this is something that you can influence starting now, no matter what your child’s age is.

Knowing the Right Habits

The most important thing when trying to make sure that your child is brushing is making sure they know what proper brushing actually is. Explain that the “2 x 2” rule should always be followed when it comes to brushing. This means that your child should brush two times every day and that they should brush for two minutes at a time. Gauging the time while brushing can be challenging for people of any age, and for kids it may be especially hard. Purchase a small kitchen timer for bathroom use to help them stay motivated about proper brushing. If your child’s old enough to have a mobile phone, have them install a timer app that can do the countdown for them.

Use a Fun Tool For Checking Plaque

Ask your dentist about plaque disclosing tablets. These tablets can be fun for your child to use because they chew up the tablet, swish it around, and then smile wide to see if there’s any red patches. If red patches are left behind, it’s a signal that your child needs to work harder on brushing well — and this may just give them the motivation to do so. There are also plaque disclosing solutions and swabs if tablets aren’t a good fit for your child.

Sunshine Smiles is a pediatric dentistry provider for children of all ages. From infancy to pre-college teens, the Sunshine Smiles team is here to help with everything from basic dentistry to advanced dentistry care. Contact us anytime to arrange a visit for your child.