I don’t know why, but some kids are reeeeally not into brushing their teeth. They fight their parents on it and seem adverse to anything that has to do with toothpaste, mouthwash or floss. So, if you have a child who is resisting healthy oral hygiene, here are some tips to help you out.
Colour-changing mouthwash. It’s a bit tricky to find up here (they sell it south of the border), but Listerine has this amazing mouthwash that makes any plaque or food on a child’s teeth turn blue or green – that way, they can see exactly which spots need to be brushed. Plus, it turns teeth-brushing into a game.
Tooth timer. This also makes brushing a bit more fun and challenging because kids have to brush their teeth for a certain amount of time. You can buy an actual little tooth-shaped timer, or a regular one from a board game would do.
Learn about oral care. You know those little laminated placemats? They’re usually blank on the back. Using a black wipe-off marker, draw some teeth, and then give your child the coloured wipe-off markers to draw little “germs” on them. Then, with a cheapy dollar store toothbrush, have them “brush” off the germs.
There’s also an awesome dentist Playdoh set that can make learning about teeth fun.
Buy oral care products together. Take your little one to the pharmacy and pick out their toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash (another quick trick: electric toothbrushes are more exciting for some kids).
A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.