Brushing to the Beat – Make Toothbrush Time Fun

Brushing in the Early Years

For adults, brushing our teeth is as easy as A-B-C and 1-2- 3. Turn the spotlight on our little tykes, and you might be seeing a different story. Little ones are new to brushing their teeth, so their skills may need a little practice. Consistency and routine are absolutely fundamental when helping your child develop a brushing routine. You’ll want to keep this habit up because brushing in the early years can prevent complications with adult teeth and it will help them keep it up long term. With a little creativity, you and your child can look forward to brushing morning and night.

Get Grooving to a Catchy Beat

Let music guide the way! It’s likely that you know what kind of songs that your little one loves. Play a new tune every time they brush their teeth. Variety is your friend when it comes to keeping your child interested and willing to come back for more. Compile a playlist of catchy beats and hit shuffle. You really only need one song to play for two minutes, so keep your eye on the clock. After two minutes have passed, spit, rinse, and dance it out until the song ends. 

Stickers for the Win

Colorful, shiny, and character-themed stickers will certainly captivate your youngster. Stickers are a favorite of ours because they’re inexpensive and offer variety. Instead of just handing a sticker over to your kiddo, you may try starting a sticker collection on a calendar. Add a sticker every time your kiddo brushes their teeth. The goal is to have two stickers on each day by the end of the month, but you can be lenient with some misses as long as you see consistent patterns. Allow your child to choose a sticker that they want to collect on their calendar. At the end of the month, if there’s a total of at least 55 stickers, you can allow them to choose a special prize. This prize could be an experience like selecting a meal for dinner or choosing the next movie for movie night. Know what will work best for your family, and get those stickers ready for brush time.

Choose a Cool Brush

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make us happiest. This can go for your little one as well. Give them some choice in the matter when buying a toothbrush. Many toothbrushes for kids are character-themed or come in a bunch of various fun colors. Take them shopping with you or browse online for a toothbrush that they would want to use until it’s time for a new one. Simply having a cool toothbrush might just be enough to make them feel motivated to clean those pearly whites. 

Brush Time is Also Joke Time

Everyone loves a good joke. In fact, it is a great way to start the morning and end the night. It’s okay if you don’t know any jokes. Browse online or grab some here. Before your kiddo begins brushing, tell them a joke. Hold off on telling them the punchline until two-minutes runs out. If they think they have the answer after they brush their teeth, allow them to share it. If they aren’t sure, they’ll just have to wait until two minutes is up to know the answer. Feel free to repeat the joke a few times while they’re brushing so it is fresh in their mind. 

 Baby teeth need lots of love in order to stay healthy. Your child can have their first dentist appointment when their first tooth emerges around 6-12 months of age. Dr. Bowie is great with kids, so reach out to us today.  

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