Family dentists recommend that kids brush twice daily to cleanse plaque, bacteria, and acids from tooth surfaces. This can reduce the risk of tooth decay and cavities, ensuring your children maintain a healthy smile. However, since your young ones might need some extra motivation to brush, you may wonder how to make the experience fun for them. Here are a handful of ways to make this dental hygiene task more entertaining.

4 Ways to Make Brushing Teeth Fun for Kids 

1. Brush Together

Brushing can become a fun family activity if you do it with your children. You may dance around and make funny faces in the mirror to keep your young ones happy and engaged during the process. Additionally, since kids often look to their parents as role models and mimic their behavior, your child may learn good brushing methods and habits as a result of completing their dental care routine with you. You can also use the opportunity to give your kids pointers, such as brushing at a 45-degree angle to more thoroughly remove plaque and making sure to cleanse the fronts, backs, and chewing surfaces of teeth. 

2. Let Them Choose a Brush & Paste 

You can get kids excited about brushing by allowing them to select their own implements. You may permit them to choose a brush that features their favorite colors or images of cartoon characters on the handle. Additionally, you can let them select toothpaste in a flavor that often appeals to children, such as bubblegum, cherry, or strawberry. When your young ones feel a more personal connection to these items, they might even begin to look forward to brushing each morning and evening. 

3. Use Apps 

Tooth brushing apps made for children can make the experience fun by playing music while your kids complete their dental care routine. Brush DJ is an app that plays songs for exactly two minutes, which is the amount of time family dentists recommend brushing. In addition to listening to their favorite music and enjoying themselves while brushing, this can ensure your children thoroughly cleanse their teeth to prevent cavities. 

4. Offer Rewards 

Rewarding your children for completing their daily dental care regimen can provide positive reinforcement. When your kids successfully brush twice daily every day of the week, you may treat them to extra screen time, take them out to their favorite restaurant, or schedule a fun play date on the weekend. These rewards may encourage them to continue the good behavior and assist with instilling healthy dental care habits throughout childhood. 

Help your children maintain healthy and beautiful smiles with assistance from Steven A. Kumasaka, DDS. Located in Kaneohe, HI, this family dentist provides teeth cleaning and oral exams to kids and adults on East Oahu. Call (808) 247-2240 to book an appointment with this dentist, and visit the website to learn more about how they can promote the health of your teeth, mouth, and gums.