Every parent knows that it can be hard to get your kids to take care of their teeth. After all, there’s so much they’d rather be doing!
We wrote this post as a model for how to talk to your kids about brushing their teeth, or you can just let them read it (if they’ll sit down for long enough!). If you have younger kids, you can also download our free coloring book.
How to Brush Your Teeth – For Kids!
Brushing your teeth seems simple – just pop in a toothbrush and swish it around, right?
Actually, learning how to brush your teeth the right way is super-important. Your teeth are designed to last your entire life, but you have to take care of them.
Taking care of your teeth can be easy, and there are big benefits – a healthy smile will help you be more confident, and flashing your pearly whites can even help you make more friends!
Here’s how to make brushing a fun part of your day.
Pick a Good Toothbrush.
To do good job of brushing your teeth, you have to have the right tool—a great toothbrush. Pick out one with soft bristles. The soft bristles are important because they won’t hurt your gums when you brush (yikes).
Your brush also needs to be the right size. Kids’ toothbrushes have smaller heads so they fit comfortably in your mouth. As you grow, you’ll get bigger toothbrushes.
Toothbrushes come in all sizes and colors. Some feature your favorite cartoons, TV characters, and superheroes.
Here’s the fun part – some are electric and can even play music while you brush! Whichever toothbrush you pick, get one that you’ll like using twice a day to keep your teeth clean and healthy.
The 2-Minute Rule.
Nobody likes rules (that’s right, not even adults). But this is one rule that keeps your teeth from falling out, so it’s not that bad!
This is the most important thing you can learn from this blog: you need to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice a day.
Two minutes. Twice a day. Easy, right?
When you’re brushing, two minutes may seem like a long time, but it’s not. If you watch TV after dinner, stop and brush during the commercials. You’ll be done by the time your favorite show comes back on!
If you’re a high-tech kid, you can even get a free app for your phone or tablet that will play music or videos while you brush for two minutes. Or pick your favorite song and brush while it plays.
If you can brush for 2 minutes twice a day, you’ll go a long way toward keeping your beautiful smile for the rest of your life.
How You Should Brush.
Put a little bit of toothpaste on your brush (about the size of a pea). Start with your back teeth, brushing the top, sides, and back of each tooth in gentle circles. Keep working your way forward, and then around to the other side of your mouth.
Make sure you brush all of your top and bottom teeth, then brush your tongue gently to keep it clean and keep your breath fresh.
Then you’re done! And your mouth will feel great.
The Toothbrush’s Best Friend: Dental Floss.
Even when you’re really good a brushing, it’s hard to clean between your teeth where they touch.
That’s why you should use dental floss every day before you brush. Floss helps remove little bits of food and plaque (plaque is the buildup of bacteria on your teeth – gross!).
Flossing is easy, too. You can use flossers that are easy to hold, or just use a piece of floss about as long as your forearm. Wrap the ends around your index fingers, and slide the floss gently between your teeth.
Flossing only takes a few more seconds, and it will help your mouth feel really clean – they even make floss in lots of fun flavors, like fruit punch and bubblegum.
Celebrate Your Accomplishments.
If you’re doing a great job of brushing and flossing, celebrate!
It can be hard to remember to brush and floss. Get your parents to set up a calendar so you can mark off the days with stickers or check marks, and then talk to them about a reward if you brush and floss every day for a month.
And feel good about your great work—you’re making your smile brighter and keeping your teeth healthy for a long, long time.
Parents – do you want to know more about keeping your kids’ teeth healthy?
Try these resources we created just for you!
- Tooth-Tastic! Make Dental Care Fun for Kids [Infographic]
- MFD for Kids: Video of Malia, Age 3
- MFD for Kids: Video of Anna Marie, Age 7
- Back to School Smiles: Dental Tips for Kids
- Free Kids’ Coloring Book!
We love working with kids. Schedule an Appointment for Yours Today!
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