National Children’s Dental Care Month February is here, we’re one step closer to Spring and better weather, folks! It also means romance, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. It’s no coincidence that the month that kids go to school and give each other candy is the month that we choose to focus on Children’s Dental Care!
Dental care is so important to start young in a child’s lifetime to create a sense of comfort and routine in regular dental care. If we establish regular check-up dates with you Los Angeles cosmetic dentist every six months and emphasize their importance, children can easily carry this great habit beyond their childhood into adulthood!
Choosing a great dentist in Los Angeles to make your children comfortable can reduce the stress that often drives children away from going to the dentist at an early age.
Dental care is not only attending our regular checkups. The everyday oral hygiene routine is even more important to staying healthy and having a beautiful smile!
It can be difficult to establish daily routines for your children that include both brushing and flossing, but there are definitely some great ways that you can motivate your children to stay in the habit. Let’s make it happen starting today!
Establishing A Dental Care Rewards System For Your Child
A lot of times for kids, there’s just no motivation to brush your teeth regularly. Why bother with brushing your teeth for a minute when you could be playing Xbox or Playstation instead?
We want to use some kind of positive-reinforcement technique to teach your children early that brushing your teeth and flossing is an essential and potentially fun part of your daily dental health routine. For most of us, that’s having a bright smile and no toothaches, but children aren’t aware of these problems yet.
It’s a really easy choice for some, but try to avoid rewarding your children with candy. Yes, it’s delicious, but if you’re rewarding your child for good dental hygiene, you’re shooting yourself in the foot by giving them candy. Sugar and candy is the enemy of a flawless smile.
Money management and savings are also great lessons to teach your kids along with regular dental hygiene, so why not reward your kids with a quarter or two for each day your kids properly execute their dental routine? Kill two birds with one stone by partnering this with a piggy bank to start some saving habits. Clear a spot on the fireplace for your parent of the year trophy!
Of course you don’t have to do this specifically, you can use different types of rewards you think will better suit your little ones.
Make Your Kids’ Dental Routine Fun
The varieties of toothbrushes and toothpaste can definitely work in your favor in convincing your children that oral hygiene is a blast. Let your child pick his or her own toothbrush and toothpaste, maybe one with a favorite super hero or cartoon character on it.
Music is also another great tool to psych kids up for their daily dental routine. Many have suggested playing your child’s favorite song during tooth brushing time. This way your child will be enthusiastic and look forward to brushing his or her teeth.
Leading by example also has potential for increasing the fun in dental hygiene for your kids. Be enthusiastic about “getting to” brush your teeth and floss in front of your kids. Jam out to your favorite song while brushing your teeth and make it into a fun activity.