Does your child fuss while brushing, does he or she make excuses to avoid brushing.
Then firstly check to see that there isn’t anything wrong, that the child doesn’t have anything actually wrong with his or her tooth (which is causing pain etc.) and then check to see if it isn’t something as simple as not liking the toothpaste!
Here are some tips to help to ingrain the brushing habit in your child:
- Start out early. If the brushing routine is part of the day’s activities from early in a child’s life it won’t occur to him or her to protest
- Use a toothpaste that the child likes: find a suitable and age appropriate one with the right ingredients that has an interesting color, a nice taste etc. give it a build up and if possible, let the child pick it out at the drug store. If the child says they don’t like the taste, or they say it’s too ‘yucky’ give them the benefit of the doubt, try another kind.
- Use an extra soft brush and extra small brush which won’t hurt or abrade the child’s tender young gums and will feel comfortable in the tiny little mouth! Make it a fun toothbrush perhaps featuring a favorite cartoon character or one that has its own case or box etc.
