Tips to create a habit of brushing your children's teeth

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Nguyen Khanh Nam - Doctor of Teeth - Jaw - Face, Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital

Building a habit of brushing children's teeth is not an easy job for parents. So how to make brushing teeth no longer an obsession for children? Please refer to some tips to create a habit of brushing your children's teeth in the following article.

1. When to start teaching children to brush their teeth?

This is a question often asked by many parents when their baby has just reached the age of teething. Experts recommend that you start brushing your baby's teeth since the first baby tooth erupts at 6 months old. At this time, when the baby is too young, parents can use a soft damp cloth or a small brush dipped in water and then gently clean. In addition, you can also buy tongue gauze available at the pharmacy to clean your baby's teeth. You should clean your teeth twice a day, in the morning after waking up and in the evening before going to bed.

2. How to choose the right toothbrush and toothpaste?

When choosing a toothbrush for children, it's inevitable that everyone should choose a type with soft bristles and a small brush head to avoid damaging your baby's delicate teeth and gums.
Toothpaste at each age will have different criteria such as:
Children under 18 months old: No need to use toothpaste, just brush gently with clean water. Children 18 months to 6 years old: Use a toothpaste that is low in fluoride and specially formulated for children. This information will be clearly stated on the product packaging. Children over 6 years old: Use a standard amount of fluoride toothpaste.

3. Methods of teaching children to brush their teeth

When your child has grown and has begun to brush his teeth on his own, you should encourage your child to actively brush his teeth every day. At first, the baby may not be used to it and still feel awkward when doing it. Therefore, parents should be there to praise and encourage the child to be more excited for the next time. At first, children cannot brush themselves, so parents need to actively check and point out shortcomings so that their children can take the initiative to overcome them.
When your child enters the period of fully developing motor muscles for brushing at about 8 years of age, you can let him do it on his own. However, parents should also pay attention to observe whether children voluntarily go to brush their teeth when it is time and brush their teeth if they are clean or not to promptly correct them.

4. Some ways to help children to brush their teeth

4.1. Schedule a reasonable time You should encourage your child to brush his teeth every day at a fixed time such as after drinking milk at night or before going to bed. From there, help children shape that brushing their teeth is a fixed daily job that they have to do.
Take a certain amount of time for this and need to do it calmly, without rushing or rushing the baby. This principle is very important that many parents often overlook, and helps children see this as a daily joy, not an obsession.
4.2. Consider your baby's current condition You should determine if your baby has reached the stage where he needs to use a toothbrush or can still use a soft cloth to clean. If only a few teeth have come out, a soft moist gauze pad is sufficient for cleaning. In addition, you can use a dry towel and soak it in physiological saline to help your baby cooperate more.
No matter how you brush your teeth, parents need to do it very gently to avoid causing damage to their baby's delicate teeth and gums. Remember that being too rough will cause your baby to become uncooperative and from that brushing will be a fear for the baby throughout the growing period.
4.3. Use toothpaste at the right time When you are just entering the stage of learning to brush your baby's teeth, you should not rush to use toothpaste even if it is the type that children can swallow. At this time, just warming the brush with clean water or physiological saline is enough.

4.4. Get your child to sit in a chair Getting your child to sit in a chair to get used to brushing their teeth is like eating or doing other personal hygiene activities. From there, parents can encourage children that brushing teeth can be as comfortable as other daily activities.
4.5. This is considered a special inspiration for children to see the whole family gather together in the bathroom and brush their teeth. When brushing teeth, parents can sing while opening their mouth wide for children to imitate, or play a game like who brushes their teeth better.
4.6. Be calm when your baby grinds the toothbrush When your baby starts to brush his teeth, he may often bite your hand if he uses a towel or grinds his toothbrush. At this time, do not lose your temper with the child, but gently explain to the child that this is not right or use a distraction to open his mouth by saying "How many teeth do you have? I forgot again." When the baby opens his mouth wide, you should count out the number of teeth for him to hear.
Even if your child can't speak yet, what you express through your attitude and eyes has a huge impact on your child's behavior later on.
4.7. Quick action When brushing your baby's teeth, parents should not expect and aim too high to brush thoroughly. Even just brush through the inside, outside, top and bottom to let your child imagine what brushing is like. After a while, when you get used to it, you can gradually increase the level and it will be easier for the baby to cooperate.
4.8. Acceptance to cope with difficulties Some children fiercely resist all methods of their parents or even willingly cry, bite, or get angry. Then you need to pause your plan and find out why the child has such a violent reaction. It should be noted that each child is a different personality, so it is not possible to use one person's "tips" to apply to another.
4.9. Establish a habit in a happy atmosphere Whatever the habit, parents need to remember that the atmosphere is always a determining factor for success. When children practice brushing their teeth in a relaxed, happy state, it will be a good memory and brushing will be fun until the child grows up.
When your baby starts to fuss or react uncooperatively, you should stop or go outside to let your child approach someone he or she loves and try a combination of methods to calm down. for children.

4.10. Put your baby on a flat surface In addition to letting your baby sit on a chair when starting to brush his teeth, depending on your family's conditions, you can put your baby on a table or shelf. Pull your baby close to you, hold the baby's arms and legs, and then use one hand to hold the baby's head slightly up, the other hand hold a towel or brush. While cleaning the teeth, you can sing a few songs to create interest for the child.
4.11. Applying technology in creating brushing habits for children Now with the application of science and technology, parents no longer have to be tired of brushing their teeth with their children. Everything has become easier when using the brushing method with a smart brush integrated with the application on a smartphone or tablet. At this time, daily brushing has become an attractive task with the goal of "flying away monsters" that cause tooth decay. Your child understands the need to get rid of harmful bacteria and knows that bright white teeth bring confidence. At that time, brushing teeth will no longer be a boring job, on the contrary, it will also make the baby active and excited.
Maintaining a good habit of brushing your baby's teeth regularly every day can put a lot of pressure on parents both psychologically and spiritually. Therefore, parents need to be patient and try many different methods, and at the same time listen to the child's reaction to have an effective cooperation.
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