Just because brushing and flossing is a necessary skill that young children need to learn doesn’t mean that teaching them to enjoy an oral health routine is always easy. Many children resist brushing and flossing, often for a combination of various reasons. They can see brushing before bed as boring, uncomfortable or even painful, and it’s very possible for one bad experience to set back their progress by days or even weeks.  

As Winnipeg dentists with lots of experience in treating children, we know the struggle. But we’re here to help! Below you’ll find five of our top tips to help your child learn to love taking care of their teeth – you may be surprised how much these small changes can add up to a big difference:

1. Give them child-sized choices

Not everything is a choice – brushing your teeth, for example – but that doesn’t mean your child can’t be involved by choosing their own tools. Head to the store or browse online and let them pick the toothbrush they like the most, whether it’s pink, blue or Paw Patrol-themed. You can also skip the mint toothpaste, as it’s often too strong of a flavour for little mouths. Instead, let them pick the flavour of age-appropriate toothpaste they enjoy the most (just make sure they aren’t swallowing it).  

2. Make a sticker chart

Countless studies have shown that young children respond more strongly to positive reinforcement than they do to punishment. You can make this tendency work for you by introducing a sticker reward chart to their morning and bedtime routines. Find some stickers that they’re excited about and put one on their chart every time they successfully brush and floss. Tell them that when they reach a certain number of stickers on their chart – typically no more than five or so – they’ll earn a fun prize (like a small toy, tooth-friendly treat or weekend trip to the zoo).  

3. Tell them a story

Two minutes may not feel very long to us, but to a small child it can feel like an eternity. Make their time spent brushing pass in a flash by making up a silly story every time they’re cleaning their teeth. Each story can be standalone or a part of a bigger story that leaves them eagerly waiting for the next instalment. For bonus points, make their brushing an active part of the story, whether it’s by brushing away spooky spiderwebs or cleaning a friendly dinosaur’s massive chompers.  

4. Find a toothbrushing song

If you don’t feel up to making up a new story every night, or you’re brushing alongside your child, having a special “toothbrushing song” that is approximately two minutes long to dance to can make things more fun and entertaining. Just a few of the many great picks are Song 2 by Blur, We Will Rock You by Queen or Brush Brushy Brush by Elmo and Ms. Rachel. Find the right song, and your kiddo will be looking forward to brushing while they boogie in no time.  

5. Make visiting the dentist exciting

Our other tips were about taking care of your child’s teeth at home, but our last tip may be the most important: Try your best to make visiting the dentist something to look forward to, not something to be afraid of. Dental anxiety is a significant issue that can extend from childhood through to the rest of their life and, while our team are experts at helping kids get comfortable with having their teeth cleaned, having a positive association with the dentist begins before they walk through the door.  

To make it even easier, we can provide appointments just to get your child comfortable visiting us. They can come and sit in the chair and look at (and even touch!) the different tools, and we’ll save the actual checkup and cleaning for their next appointment.

If you’re looking to set up a first appointment for your little wait, don’t hesitate – just hit the orange Book Online button and reach out today!