A few weeks ago I took the kids to the dentist, I had been a bad mom and they had not gone for over a year when they really need to be going every 6 months and thankfully all of them have great hygiene and brushing their teeth skills because no one had any cavities! One of my kids though does not like the idea of brushing behind their bottom teeth, they always tells me it bugs them and it feels weird and no matter what I do they argue with me about it. After talking to the dentist they told me that we need to work on brushing the backs of their teeth, thankfully the kids heard them and now they have been brushing the backs of their teeth. The dentist also armed me with tips for teaching kids good dental hygiene and so I am passing them on to you. We have been working even more on dental hygiene since we went to the dentist so I was excited when Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste reached out to me about working together.
When kids are young it is our job as parents to teach them good personal hygiene including good dental hygiene. Adults and teens also need to have good dental hygiene and being a good example for our kids is a great way to get the kids started on good dental hygiene. Using products like Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste the adults can practice good dental hygiene while teaching the kiddos.
Tips for Teaching Kids Good Dental Hygiene
1. Brush your teeth with your kids.
When kids are learning to brush their teeth seeing it be done is the easiest way to teach them. I started from the time my kids were able to stand next to me giving them a tooth brush while I brushed my teeth. They would move the tooth brush around in their mouth themselves and then I would brush theirs after I was done mine.
2. Let the kids pick out their toothbrush
Now that my kids are older they know that I get toothbrushes for crazy cheap with coupons and so now they don’t pick out the ones with characters but when they were little I took them to the store to pick out the toothbrush they wanted and made a big deal about it.
3. Buy kids toothpaste.
They make kids toothpaste in all sorts of flavors, I can use Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste while they use their kids one and we are both happy. Sometimes adult toothpaste is to strong of a taste for kids but that is why the kids flavors are a good choice.
4. Make a routine for brushing.
Getting them in to a routine for when they need to brush is a good way to get them started and sticking to good dental hygiene. Brushing is recommended to be done two times a day.
5. Teach them why you need to brush your teeth.
As parents we tend to use the “because I said so” reasoning but many times explaining to a kid the why gets them to do it and gets them to want to do it. You can go in to more details with older kids on why you choose the brand of toothpaste you do, it could be for flavor or it could be that you choose the Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste because it is a new toothpaste contains a multi-active formula that helps repair early teeth and gum damage. This will also help them as they get older to pick their own toothpaste.
I hope these tips for teaching kids good dental hygiene help you and your family make brushing their teeth an important part of their daily routine and that these tips for teaching kids good dental hygiene help you keep your sanity while you are teaching them the importance of good dental hygiene.
Colgate introduces a new product to its Colgate Total® portfolio – Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste. This new toothpaste contains a multi-active formula that helps repair early teeth and gum damage* before you may know it even exists. Colgate Total® Daily Repair Toothpaste also helps remineralize weakened enamel to help prevent cavities and strengthen teeth, and help improve gum health** by killing bacteria that cause gingivitis.
Product Benefits:
- Helps repair early teeth & gum damage
- Remineralizes weakened enamel
- Helps kill bacteria that cause gingivitis and protect against cavities, plaque and tartar
- Freshens breath
- Whitens teeth
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly says
Super important for parents to start them early by making it fun so they will want to stick with it. The work they put in now will save them tons of time and pain in the long run!
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
I agree that modeling teeth brushing is good for the kids. You have some really great tips here.
ricci says
Good dental hygiene is soooo important!! These tips are great for promoting great dental hygiene for kids that will last them all of their lives!!
Christy Maurer says
I like the idea of letting them pick out their own toothbrushes. I always did that when my kids were little. It was more fun for them that way.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
These are great tips. Left to their own devices, kids would just let their teeth rot right out of their heads.
Heather says
We have this routine down pat! We even use a sand timer to make sure they brush their teeth for the proper duration. And with my three year old, I brush his teeth first, and then let him give it a try. I tell him to try and brush all the spots I missed, so it empowers him a little more.
Nina Say says
I really thought I was going to have a hard time getting this to stick with my kids. Thankfully one trip to the dentist changed that. They realized that it would be better not to need anything but cleanings.
April @ Everyday Fitness and Nutrition says
It’s definitely a good idea to get good oral hygiene started early. Even with daily brushing, one of my girls had lots of issues with cavities.
Theresa says
Awesome advice. My daughter recently went to the dentist. It was great to see her into learning about good dental hygiene!
Wandering Carol says
Dental hygiene is so important no matter what your age. My problem is that I’m afraid of the dentist, but I still force myself to go. It’s easy for kids not to understand the importance of taking care of your teeth, and such a hard lesson learned later! Good idea to brush your teeth along with your kids.
Uplifting Families says
I usually brush my teeth with my youngest son. I let him pick out his toothbrush too. He us even happy with the cheap ones. I just let him pick the color he wants.
Lisa says
Thanks for the tips! It can be really hard to get kids to cooperate with something they don’t want to do – like brushing their teeth.
Faye Wilkerson says
My special needs sister-in-law moved in with us after her mother died. My mother-in-law brushed her teeth for her and she is almost 40. She only brushes if you tell her and then doesn’t do a very good job. It’s like teaching a small child.
Mykidsguide says
These are great tips. I let my kids choose their toothbrushes and the flavors of their toothpastes.
Rebecca Swenor says
These are great tips for teaching your children good dental hygiene. I used to brush my teeth with the kids and they loved it because they thought they were big. They were also allowed to choose their own kids toothpaste. Thanks for sharing.
R U S S says
I couldn’t stress enough on the importance of dental hygiene. It’s something that parents should take time to teach and make their children appreciate. While it sounds a bit tedious, but parents are doing their kids a great deal of favor which is going to be beneficial for them in the long run.
Chubskulit Rose says
We have a small bathroom at our home but everytime we brush our teeth, we d it all together to show the kids that even brushig can be a fun bonding. Thanks for the tips.
Nikki says
I agree to this. this will be a great toothpaste for my son co’z his teeth was look like there’s a cavity. thanks for this it will really help for me and my son a lot. This will be a great tips also love your blog
Ron says
Awesome tips and advice. This can definitely help. Creating a fun activity that includes brushing teeth is also a good one to do.
Lynndee says
Those are really great tips. We visit our dentist twice a year and our son has been good when it comes to taking care of his teeth.
Maria says
These are all great tips for teaching kids proper dental hygiene. It’s also important to practice what you preach.
Jacqui Odell says
These are great tips. I think it’s important to make it routine. That way they don’t have to think about it.
Chrystal | YUM eating says
Good dental hygiene is a must and always best to start early. Bad dental hygiene can be the start of many other problems – even outside the mouth. No one wants that!
Martine - MeUnfinished says
I also find that when I brush my teeth with the little people it encourages them to do it the right way. Thanks for the great tips!
Dina says
I tell my kids all the time only brush the ones you want to keep! That keeps them brushing as both sets of grandparents have dentures. Well except my mom. 🙂
danielle x. says
I always put on music before the kids brush their teeth. They know they are done when the song is over. This helps them brush for a few minutes straight.
Rosey says
I love your tip on the ‘why’ factor. So many times we teach them how but forget to tell them why it’s important.
Jessica Simms says
The thing I love about kids is that if you teach them something new they are more than excited to keep doing it. Brushing their teeth has always been a fun activity, it took a while to get them used to doing it everyday but once they caught on its always a fun sight to see them all at the sink giggling.
Erin says
Dental Hygiene is SO important. Thank you for sharing tips to help parents promote it early on!
Nickida says
I love Colgate. I grew up using it and it’s what I use in my house all the time. Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
CourtneyLynne says
These are some great tips!!! It’s so strange, my toddler is obsessed with brushing her teeth! I guess I lucked out because other moms are constantly telling me what a battle it is for them lol
Adanna says
These are all fantastic tips for teaching kids good dental hygiene. My kids love to brush their teeth. They both have toothbrushes with their favorite characters and I buy them fun dinosaur floss.
Gabriel says
I try to explain to the kids as they get older why I have them do some of the things they do. Always after they do it though, so it isn’t always a debate or class when something just needs to be done quickly.
Camesha | Mama Motivator says
Luckily our kids love brushing their teeth! Letting them pick out their own toothbrushes and toothpaste helps to get them excited.
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
It’s really effective to let your kids choose their own toothbrush and toothpaste. It encourages them to brush their teeth.