Activities That Teach Children How to Brush Teeth

Teaching your child about dental hygiene can be tough. The key is to keep the experience both fun and educational, and less like a daily chore. The goal is to have your children be excited about brushing so they can maintain good dental hygiene through their adolescence and well into adulthood.

Make It Fun

• Your enthusiasm will be contagious so come up with a game while brushing teeth. For example, you may want to create a teeth-brushing song that you play or sing when it's time to brush. Make sure to laugh, clap and cheer often to display this as a fun experience.

Demonstrate

• Children tend to want to do things that their parents are doing, so brushing your teeth in front of them will make them want to copy you. Approach brushing as something you are eager to do. Laugh a lot, and make it seem like you are having a lot of fun. Once the child seems interested, pose the question, "Do you want to try brushing your teeth like Mommy?" You are likely to get an affirmative response when approaching it this way.

Educate

• Educate your child on the importance of brushing his teeth. Show her pictures of decaying teeth and what could happen if she does not brush. Explain that plaque can be a substance that eats our teeth if we don't wash it away.

Important Notes

• Make sure your child spits out the toothpaste and does not eat it. You also want to make sure the flavor of toothpaste is appealing to the child. Adults may not realize that some toothpastes taste harsh but could be very sensitive to a child.