As children grow they want to become more independent, they also try to find out where the boundaries lie as far as what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, basically they are learning what they can and can’t get away with! Making a task like tooth brushing part of a normal routine for a child makes things easier for parents and being strict about it if they resist will teach them that it is an essential thing to do each day. However tooth brushing doesn’t have to feel like a chore to children, they will be more willing to brush their teeth if it is made more exciting, there are many ways that it can be made fun.
Using disclosing tablets once a week will not only show you and your child how well they are brushing their teeth, but will also show areas which need a little more attention. Disclosing tablets are used after tooth brushing, the child chews up a tablet and then spits out, they can also rinse lightly with water to get rid of the taste. They then look at the colour of their teeth, disclosing tablets use a dye to highlight areas where plaque is left behind after brushing, most are blue, purple or pink. They then brush their teeth again to remove plaque (and dye) from areas that were missed the first time, ensuring that all plaque has effectively been removed.
Using things like tooth brushing timers (2 minute timers), playing songs ( which last for at least two minutes) while they brush, or even counting down in 30 second segments while they brush can make brushing more interesting while ensuring that they’re brushing for the required amount of time.
Allowing a child to choose an interesting toothbrush, for example, one whose handle changes colour as it warms up, one with a characters face in the design of the brush, or one which has a picture of their favourite film/TV character on it, can help to keep them keen about using their tooth brush twice a day.
If you wish you can make a tooth cleaning chart for a month and place a sticker on each morning and night after brushing to keep a record of when they’ve brushed their teeth well, this could be used in conjunction with a reward of some sort, perhaps they can choose the stickers which will be used on the chart for the next month, or if they’ve done well perhaps they can choose between a visit to a zoo or going bowling ,for example, for one day at the end of the month when a whole tooth brushing chart has been filled in, anything which encourages them to brush and rewards them for good behaviour will work.
