Everyone who is a parent, or who happens to have spent much time at all around our young ones, knows the struggle that can come with nightly oral health care. With all the shiny, moving things that exist in the world, it can be difficult for you to be able to address the importance of maintaining your smile. There are a few different reasons for this, and much has to do with their perception of time, and they might not fully understand the benefit just yet.
But while they might not be able to entirely grasp the more abstract concepts of oral health, they still require care. Developing solid skills while they are young can lead to cementing positive habits long into the future. It is important, as well, to take care of their initial set of baby teeth, so do not allow them to ignore their hygiene. These structures create a guideline for your adult ones, and any extraction can lead to issues with alignment when they become older.
So today, your Newport Beach, CA dentist is here with some tips and tricks to keep your little ones’ attention on their mouths. And as parents, stay vigilant and be sure to take the extra effort to protect them as much as you can!
Find Their Interests
When trying to coax a child into doing something that might not be immediately gratifying, tying it to something that already fascinates them can be a huge help. If you can make their twice-daily brushing into an event around their interests, this can help keep them in place, without worrying about the time.
This allows for a huge amount of creativity and freedom for both you and your child. If there is a topic that they would love to learn more about, now is a perfect time to open up a book or a website on whatever it is. If dinosaurs keep them brushing, great! Maybe it’s sports or fashion, if they want to know, now is a fantastic time to let them listen.
Individuality Matters
Children absolutely love the ability to take something and fully make it theirs. We may find our oral hygiene setup to be dull and uninteresting, and unsurprisingly, your young ones can as well. So you may have great success by giving them the ability to personalize the experience.
As adults, we often underestimate the power that comes with choice. We make simple decisions at the grocery store, but for children, these options have a lot of power. By giving them the responsibility of choosing their toothbrush or a new exciting flavor of toothpaste, it reinforces their duty in mouth maintenance.
Many songs can be used to mark time, as well. Find something that they love to hear, and they will stick around (for the song, anyway). And this can also be a great time to expand their love of music or storytelling!
Questions? Concerns?
If you are struggling to explain the benefits of oral hygiene to your child, please give Dr. Hofkes at Balboa Dental Surgery a call at (949)630-0143. Or stop by our office here in Newport Beach, CA!
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