Dentists recommend that kids form good dental hygiene habits at early ages, so they'll have healthy adult teeth as they grow. However, children rarely look forward to brushing their teeth and will often take every opportunity to avoid it. To prevent a twice-a-day brushing battle, try turning it into a fun, engaging activity in the following ways.

How to Make Brushing Fun for Your Kids

1. Let Them Practice

While you teach your kids about the importance of brushing their teeth, let them practice on a stuffed animal or doll. To make it more fun, get a storybook about teeth, and then buy a toy or stuffed animal that matches the character in the book. While you're telling the story, they can follow along and practice.

2. Turn on Some Music

Dentists recommend brushing twice a day for two minutes. During that time, play fun music that your kids enjoy. They'll be distracted and might brush with more excitement when their favorite song comes on. You can also download apps that help with tooth brushing by playing songs for two-minute intervals, so when the music stops playing, your kids can stop brushing.

3. Give Them a Reward

Rewarding your kids for consistent brushing is an easy way to establish a tooth brushing habit. Get a weekly chart or calendar and designate a sticker or color to every kid in your house. Once they have successfully brushed their teeth twice a day for a whole week or month, offer them a special surprise, such as a toy or a trip to the movies.

4. Let Them Choose Their Toothbrush

If you get your child a fun toothbrush kit, they'll be more excited to use it. Take them to the store and let them pick out their toothbrush and toothbrush holder, or get them an electric toothbrush that'll remove plaque for kids that have trouble with the hand motion.

5. Turn It Into a Game

A popular game that makes brushing fun for kids is to tell them, without sounding frightening, about the sugar bugs and mouth monsters that are in their teeth. Since children don't care about dental hygiene yet, the bugs and monsters will give them a fun purpose and a basic idea of why we all should brush our teeth.

If your child still doesn’t like brushing their teeth or going to the dentist, take them to Anderson Dental Group in Mooresville or Salisbury, NC, for a relaxed environment and compassionate care. With the latest technology, they can provide you with thorough dental care that’ll meet all of your needs. To learn more about how their practice will help your family, go to their website. To schedule an appointment, call (704) 636-3611 for Salisbury and (704) 663-3300 to reach Mooresville.