Faux Pas No Parent Should Make When Caring for Their Children's Teeth

Motivating little ones to brush their teeth can be one of the biggest ongoing challenges that parents of young kids face. Ensuring that your children take stellar care of their teeth is so important, though, as the rewards are worth the effort. As you teach your kids about caring for their teeth, avoid common errors to help your kids thrive.

Don't Assume All Kids Will Respond to the Same Rewards

Many parents find success by offering their kids motivating prizes for sticking to a dental care plan for a week or month. However, not all children will be convinced that they need to brush their teeth every day because they may get a reward. Some children want praise from their parents for a job well done, or they may be motivated by making a game out of flossing.

Allow time for trial and error when getting each child on track with dental care habits. You may discover that you need to play music during teeth brushing because one child benefits from it. You may also implement a reward system for all your children because one kid just won't brush their teeth without it. Be flexible as you figure out what works best for your family.

Don't Offer Soda Very Often

Many children crave sweets and will drink sugary sodas with every meal if given the opportunity to do so. Guide children to make healthier drink choices because the excessive sugar in popular sodas can lead to tooth decay. Save sodas and other sugary drinks as an occasional treat.

Don't Shame Kids for Poorly Done Habits

Many children make mistakes when caring for their teeth. Some kids forget to brush their teeth although they intended to do so, while others may accidentally make a mess when trying to get toothpaste on their toothbrush. These errors may simply be signs that they need more reminders or more detailed instruction about taking the best care of their teeth.

Be sure to supervise young children while they brush their teeth, then gently correct them. Don't point out their mistakes in an angry way, or they may develop anxiety around dental care habits that won't serve anyone. Instead, when you catch your child brushing their teeth incorrectly, show them the right way. Then suggest they try it that way. When they get it right, heap praise on them.

Don't Ignore Your Kids' Complaints

Most children will voice complaints about having to brush their teeth at some point. Some children even make a daily practice out of grumbling about dental care habits. It can be tempting to tune such complaints out entirely or rebuke kids. However, that will only lead to more problems as children may act out if they aren't able to healthily express their upset feelings.

Instead, ask questions when your children complain about their dental care. For example, if your child says that their gums hurt when they floss, show your concern and ask about the pain. It could be that your child needs to see the dentist for an underlying cause for the pain.

By acknowledging the legitimacy of your child's feelings and helping them solve the problem they may have with dental pain, you can help your kids develop a greater trust in your authority. That can lead to them more readily taking instruction about their dental care.

Don't Treat Dental Care as a Punishment or Dreaded Chore

Children pick up on a lot more than most parents realize. When you refer to daily dental care habits yourself, don't complain about having to brush your teeth or floss. Instead, talk about why you like to do so. Also, never threaten kids with the prospect of going to brush their teeth as a negative thing or punishment as part of going to bed early. Kids will pick up on both attitude and language.

Finally, contact Teresita V. Hernandez, DDS, today to schedule your children's next dental appointments. Every child deserves a bright, healthy smile. We prioritize the needs of each patient and happily help kids learn to love caring for their teeth and gums.