Practitioners of Pediatric Dentistry in Bremerton Wa can help parents of young children when the kids don’t seem to be brushing their teeth properly. Many children are unable to manage this task entirely on their own before the age of 5, so parents should be willing to help out until then. By kindergarten age, most kids should be brushing on their own and doing so at least twice a day.
Avoidance Behavior
Sometimes children don’t really like this activity and try to avoid it. They may do the old trick of running water over the toothbrush and pretend they actually completed the task. Helping the youngsters generate more interest in brushing is crucial since research shows that kids who don’t clean their teeth regularly usually turn into teens and adults who don’t do so either.
Favorite Colors
Allowing the child to choose a brush he or she particularly likes can help. So many colors and styles are available that every youngster will be able to find something appealing. A child whose favorite color is purple, aqua or orange will have no problems finding a brush in that hue. Some toothbrushes have handles shaped like animals or dinosaurs; that helps make the device seem more like a fun toy.
Two-Minute Timers
A practitioner of Pediatric Dentistry in Bremerton Wa knows that children and adults alike should be cleaning their teeth first thing in the morning and again before bedtime, and they should do so for a full two minutes. Since most adults don’t devote that much time to the activity, how can they expect their children to do so? Parents might brush along with their children sometimes, perhaps using an old-fashioned egg timer since kids find fascination in watching the sand streaming into the bottom compartment.
Entertainment Options
Although parents may be wary of rewarding tooth brushing with TV shows, the child might be allowed to spend two minutes watching a favorite cartoon online while cleaning his or her teeth. Listening to a two-minute song is another entertaining way to make the time fly by. Regular appointments at a clinic such as Dentistry for Children will verify that the children are taking excellent care of their teeth.
