Tips for Getting Your Child Excited About Oral Health

Good oral health starts by developing regular habits, such as brushing and flossing your teeth every day. Learning these habits at a young age makes them become familiar and almost automatic as you get older. There are many important things that parents can do to make oral health care more fun and engaging for their children, so they develop good habits that they will have for a lifetime. 

At Arya Dental in Santa Ana and Huntington Beach, California, we provide top notch dental care for your entire family. Highly skilled dentists Saeed Mokhayeri, DDS, and Hengameh Safarcherati, DDS and their friendly staff offer a full range of dental services to keep everyone’s teeth healthy and looking great. We help parents get their children started on a path to great oral health.

Tips for Getting Your Child Excited About Oral Health

While it’s important for your children to take care of their teeth, it may not be the most fun thing for them to learn about. A few tips can help you get your child excited about oral health.

Set an example

If you want your children to take good care of your teeth, you need to set a good example by taking good care of your own teeth. Brush and floss every day, and let them see you doing it. Even better, brush your teeth along with your children, making it a bit of fun time that you spend together, taking care of your teeth.

Use music

Music makes everything more fun. Use a recording of a short, fun, age-appropriate song (about 2 minutes is ideal) that you always play when your children are brushing their teeth. There are many recordings that are available online, or find something that your child particularly enjoys to help make teeth brushing time more enjoyable.

Positive reinforcement

If you are struggling to get your children to complete their oral health routines, sometimes positive reinforcement can help motivate them and keep them on track. This can be as simple as putting a calendar on the wall and awarding each child a sticker to mark days when they took care of their teeth. A small reward, such as a toy or time watching a favorite program, can be a prize when they complete a week or month of teeth care with no hassles. 

Fun products

There are many oral health care products that are designed especially for kids, including small toothbrushes with big handles that are easy for them to grip, toothbrushes with their favorite cartoon characters, and even toothbrushes that light up. There are many different flavors of toothpaste, so find one that each of your children enjoys. 

Find a child-friendly dentist

Children are often nervous about medical appointments, especially going to the dentist. It’s important to find a dentist who can make your child feel safe and comfortable in the dentist’s chair. At Arya Dental, we know what to do to help your child feel relaxed and supported during dental appointments in order to help them take good care of their teeth.

To set up an appointment for your child, please call our office in Fullerton, California or you can use our online booking system to find a date and time that are convenient for you.