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8 Top Tips To Encourage Your Child to Enjoy Brushing Their Teeth
Kindred are on a mission to help improve children’s oral health by supporting our families and beyond with advice and tips on how to make brushing fun and effective, so even the smallest brushers can’t resist getting in on the action!
Getting children to brush their teeth can be really hard work! In fact, two thirds of children across the UK regularly refuse to brush their teeth, with parents now spending, on average, nine minutes a day needing to cajole/plead/beg children to be better brushers*
We want families across the UK to put their brushing to the test and take part in our #kindredtoothbrushingchallenge, which aims support children with healthy tooth brushing habits.
Want to get involved? Download our free Tooth Brushing Challenge HERE and check out a few top tips below to help encourage your little one to enjoy brushing their teeth. Let's get started today!
TIP 1: ROLE PLAY WITH A STORY
Get creative and make up a story that puts brushing at the heart of the action! You could tell them their toothbrush turns them into a superhero that can fight off plaque monsters. Or maybe each tooth is a car that needs cleaning? Use your imagination and get them excited about taking care of their teeth.
TIP 2: HAVE A BATHROOM DANCE PARTY
Playing music while brushing teeth adds a calming and enjoyable sensory component to this task. Music can also be used as a timer so your child knows exactly how long they need to brush for. This is especially useful if your little one typically brushes their teeth for 10 seconds, instead of the recommended 2 minutes.
TIP 3: TURN THE BATHROOM INTO THE DENTIST
Use your imagination and turn the bathroom into a dentist where your child has an appointment every morning and evening. Make them stay in the ‘waiting room’ until the dentist is ready to see them, then resume the role of the dentist, inspecting your child’s teeth and overseeing the brushing process. Use this to turn brushing into a game, all whilst making children excited for their next trip to the dentist!
TIP 4: BRUSHING SING ALONG
Create your very own toothbrushing song! Or borrow one of ours. We particularly like this one:
Brush, brush, brush your teeth
(Tune ‘Row, row, row your boat’)
Brush, brush, brush your teeth
Brush them every day
We put toothpaste on our brush
To help stop tooth decay
Clean, clean, clean your teeth
Clean them every day
Your teeth will sparkle for years to come
In the most beautiful way
Brush, brush, brush your teeth
Brush them every day
Happy, healthy teeth you’ll have
If it’s done this way
TIP 5: USE A CHALLENGE CHART
Using a challenge chart that your child can tick off every time they brush their teeth is a great way of helping them to get into a good routine. Why not get stuck into our #kindredtoothbrushingchallenge and download your chart here:
TIP 6: ROLE PLAY WITH A FAVOURITE TOY
Make sure your child’s favourite cuddly toy or doll also has its own toothbrush and joins in on brush time every day. Using the toy will explain why it’s so important to look after teeth, and help show children what to do. When children see their beloved toy having their teeth brushed, it will motivate them to do the same.
TIP 7: GET DRESSED UP
Keep a dress up box in, or outside, the bathroom full of dress up items like a variety of hats, scarves or colourful jackets that children only get to wear when they are in the bathroom brushing their teeth. Invent new characters that they can re-visit time and time again.
TIP 8: MAKE BRUSHING A FAMILY AFFAIR
Your children learn from you, so set a good example. The family that brushes together has even more reason to smile.