As toddlers become more and more exposed to yummy food, especially sweets, cakes and pastries, the greater is their risk of developing cavities. Because of this, dentists have been advising parents to already start their children on dental hygiene as early as six to seven months by cleaning their gums and erupting teeth with gauze to remove plaque.

As the baby becomes a toddler, it becomes important for him or her to learn how to brush their teeth properly. Let us take a look at some tips so that you can get your toddler on the path to good dental hygiene.

Tips on Teaching Your Toddler How to Brush Teeth

The first thing to do is to make tooth brushing routine in your toddler’s life. Start by brushing helping them brush their teeth. Select a soft brush that can both clean teeth and massage the gums. For younger children, wrap your finger with a piece of gauze and gently scrape away the plaque from the gums.

When your child is ready to learn to brush his or her teeth on their own (around 5 years of age), show them how first how much toothpaste they should put on their toothbrush. For kids, the amount of toothpaste should be the size of a bean or pea. If your child tells you that he/she wants to brush their teeth, let them do so in front of a mirror and supervise. Tell them to brush the fronts and backs of their teeth as well as their tongues and cheeks.

“Follow the Leader” Technique

For toddlers who are reluctant to learn how to brush, you can entice them by making tooth brushing a fun game. One popular game is “Follow the leader”. The two of you should stand in front of the mirror. Tell your toddler to follow your movements as you brush your teeth. Another interesting game is seeing who between the two will brush the longest. You can also make it as a form of hide and seek game wherein you and your child brush your teeth in order to get all the “hidden” plaque out.

Some creative parents come up with a song that describes the various strokes in brushing the teeth. Words you can use include up, down, outside, inside, top, bottom, left right, front, back, cheeks and tongue. For toddlers who don’t know these words yet, you need to show them their corresponding locations inside their mouths. For example, if your toddler has to brush front of his teeth, tap the spot with your finger.

Another procedure that will encourage proper tooth brushing is the use of dental tablets. This is a candy-flavored tablet which is chewed for 30 seconds. In the presence of plaque, the teeth will be stained red. Let your toddler chew the dental tablet for 30 seconds, have him or her spit it out, rinse the mouth with water, and then spit out again. Obviously, his/her teeth will be stained red. Have your toddler brush his/her teeth to get all the red stains out of their teeth.

Check out this informative Youtube Video:

Learn more great tips on how to teach your toddler how to brush his or her teeth properly today!

 

Random Posts

Articles You May Also Like:

1. Tips on Dealing with Toddler TantrumsDealing with toddler tantrums is something every mom and dad will inevitably face when their child is finally able to...
2. The Significance of Toddler ActivitiesToddler activities are great opportunity for parents to bond with their children. These activities are fun and are important in...
3. Parenting Tips on How to Handle Toddler TantrumsOne of the most common experiences of many parents, especially moms is when their toddler is throwing killer tantrums. Well,...

This entry was posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:40 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Posted in Parenting Tips for Kids and Toddlers by jacaranda No Comments Yet