How to teach a child to brush his teeth: tips for parents

Care for the children's oral cavity begins from 6-8 months, when the child has the first tooth. The baby's saliva contains less antibacterial substances than an adult. Microbes multiply faster, caries often appears. First, mom cleans milk teeth, and then the child learns to take care of her oral cavity on her own. The task of parents is to convince that hygiene procedures are important, and to show how to use a brush and paste correctly.

Visit to the doctor

A protesting baby who refuses to brush his teeth cannot be forced or punished. Strap and other physical methods work while the baby is small. Teenagers who remember screaming and spanking, in spite of their parents, refuse brush and soap to express their protest. The child should not be forced, but persuaded.

If a mother from six months of age used fingertips and gauze swabs to care for baby teeth, the baby quickly gets used to hygiene procedures. Parents can also buy a toothbrush for babies with a synthetic and very soft pile that does not injure the baby’s delicate gums. Children accustomed to brushing their teeth are less likely to resist and organize concerts. They just learn to hold the brush on their own, open the paste and remove the coating from enamel.

The first attempts of the baby are not always successful. Children splatter the mirror, stain the floor and sink. Mom, tired of the constant cleaning, wants to scream and punish, but this can not be done. At the next attack of anger, the woman exhales slowly several times, calms down, and praises the child for trying to brush her teeth on her own.

Children who refuse to pick up a brush are recommended to be reduced to a dentist. The doctor will examine the milk teeth and tell you how important it is to care for them. Children's dentists have large models of human jaws, on which they clearly demonstrate what happens if you do not remove plaque from the enamel and rinse your mouth. The specialist will also show mom and baby how the brush should move and how much paste to use at a time.

Children after a preventive visit to the dentist become obedient. They are happy to go with their mother to a store or pharmacy and choose accessories for hygiene procedures. And at home they try to follow all the advice of a doctor.

Fun and instructive

Parents who do not have a stormy imagination and the talent of a storyteller will help the Internet. There are many educational fairy tales with cartoon characters on the network, in which children are explained why they need to brush their teeth. Kids are introduced to the rules of hygiene, caries and other dental diseases in an accessible and simple way.

Parents can buy a toy for their child with large teeth or a mock jaw, as in the dentist’s office. Mom or dad will show with the help of such a device as the brush moves, what happens to the enamel, and also where the caries is hidden. The training will be more fun if adults change into white robes with bandages and special hats and portray doctors.Parents first tell the rules, and then offer the child to repeat and show on the toy how to brush their teeth.

Bright accessories

Kids argue less and are more likely to agree to take care of the oral cavity if unusual brushes are waiting for them in the bathroom. Parents look at the softness and length of the bristles, and children pay attention to colors and decor.

Modern dental companies produce bright accessories in the form of cartoon characters. Some baby brushes have a pleasant smell or a sweetish aftertaste. Other products can sing or glow. If the financial situation allows parents, you should buy several accessories. For example, a brush in the form of Spider-Man or a typewriter, usual, like mom or dad, and scented. A child who has a choice happily agrees to brush his teeth.

The baby brush should have a wide handle that is easier to hold. Accessories with natural bristles get dirty quickly. In synthetic villi less toothpaste and germs accumulate. Children's brushes are separate from adults. A cute cup in the form of an animated character is bought for a child. The container should also have a compartment for toothpaste.

Mouth rinse and threads do not need a baby. Only a brush and a special paste with a pleasant fruity taste. Children's dentifrices do not contain fluoride and other harmful compounds. Nothing terrible will happen if a child swallows a pea of ​​pasta.

Sometimes babies refuse to brush their teeth, because it seems to them that the procedure takes too long. An hourglass will help convince a capricious child. Suitable options are designed for 2-3 minutes. Mom buys a watch in the form of a cartoon character and puts it on the sink. Invites the child to brush his teeth and watch how the sand is poured from one part to another. When it is over, the baby will put a brush in a glass and go for a walk. The watch is distracting and helps to understand that caring for the oral cavity is fun and not too long.

Active and moving children are lured into the bathroom with a tablet or a cartoon phone. Mom includes an educational tale and offers to repeat after the characters. The video can be replaced by a song or a peppy tune, under which the child will have fun brushing his teeth.

Competitions and workshops

Caring for the oral cavity will turn into a fascinating game if mom puts rubber toys in the bathroom and offers the baby to show how he knows how to hold a brush. Let the child brush his teeth to all friends so that they are snow-white and healthy.

Children love to imitate parents. Naughty kids will love the “Repeat after mom” game. The rules are simple:

1. The adult stands in front of the mirror and pulls out his brush.
2. Invites the child to choose an accessory that he likes. Squeezes a pea of ​​special paste onto synthetic bristles.
3. Mom or dad brushes his teeth and comments on each movement.
4. Using a mirror, the child watches the adult and repeats.

A kid who has learned to handle a brush is offered to play another game. Now he is competing with a parent who will have more foam. And after hygienic procedures, mom compares who has a whiter smile. The winner receives a tasty and healthy prize: apple, yogurt, banana or cottage cheese.

The kid can compete not only with parents, but also with older brothers and sisters. The spirit of competition will make him brush his teeth perfectly to earn both a delicious gift and mother's praise.

The favorite cartoon character of the child will accelerate learning. In the morning or evening, mom announces that she recently met Spider-Man or Barbie. The hero told her that he brushes his teeth every day, because the enemies smell bad breath and quickly find his secret lair.The cartoon character also shared the secret of how to properly care for a smile:

• Squeeze a small portion of pea-sized toothpaste onto the brush.
• Brush your teeth for at least 2-3 minutes to kill all the bacteria and the evil Caries.
• The brush should move away from the gums, as if sweeping dirt from enamel.
• After the procedure, rinse the mouth thoroughly with water.

A child who will follow all the advice of Spider-Man will be able to become a real hero. And no villains will find him, because fresh breath knocks bad characters off the trail. And mom will check how pleasant the baby’s smell and white teeth are.

For obedient and diligent children, the hero passes apples or carrots. Solid vegetables clean the enamel of germs and plaque no worse than toothpaste and protect the child from tooth decay.

Reward system

Any success of the baby needs to be noticed. Parents cut a rectangle from wood or cardboard and draw a table on the blank. Divide it into small squares. Each column is signed: Monday, Tuesday, and so on, all seven days of the week. In each cell, mom notes how well the baby brushed his teeth.

If the child did everything right, then the adults paste a cheerful sticker in the box. It is recommended to buy cartoon characters, cute animals or cars so that the kid will be interested and fun. Parents allow obedient children to independently choose a sticker and decorate the table. Be sure to introduce a system of rewards and punishments:

1. If the child collects 10 stickers, then mom buys a little chocolate bar.
2. For 40 or 50 stickers, the baby receives a kilogram of candy.
3. The winner, who has collected 100 animals or cartoon characters, is sent with his parents for a typewriter or a soft toy.
4. Mom removes the sticker from the table if the baby is naughty, indulges, arranges tantrums or tries to cheat.
5. A child who has been fined several times in a row is deprived of chocolate for a week or a month.

Young children try to brush their teeth efficiently and without tantrums. For the sake of sweets and a new toy, they obey their parents and are not capricious. And the kids like that adults notice their successes, praise and encourage.

Prohibited Methods

A child who brushes his teeth slowly or not too gently should not be scolded or rushed. Let the baby spend not 5, but 10 or even 15 minutes on caring for the oral cavity, but he will do everything on his own. Children learn gradually, because they had never before held a toothbrush in their hands. And if the mother reacts negatively to all efforts, the child has no incentive to train and take care of herself. An aversion to hygiene is developing.

Do not turn oral care into a punishment or encouragement. For example, the child ate all the porridge, didn’t act up at the store and didn’t interfere with his mother’s cleaning, so in the evening he may not brush his teeth. Toothpaste and brush are hygiene items that protect against tooth decay and periodontitis. They should be associated with self-care and their health. And you can encourage your baby with chocolate, apple or cartoons.

You can not scare a child with rotten teeth and caries. Parents talk about the possible consequences, but delicately. They explain that nothing bad will happen if the baby learns to brush his teeth. It is forbidden to scare a child with an evil dentist who comes and removes all sick incisors and molars. The fear of doctors will forever remain with the baby, and every trip to the dentist will turn into a test for him.

A terrible dentist is being replaced by a tooth fairy. The sorceress comes to the children in the middle of the night and checks the condition of her teeth. If they are clean and snow-white, it leaves sweets or money under the pillow. For plaque and unpleasant odor gives a messy baby a coal, a rod or toothpaste.

So that the child does not forget about the fairy, mom draws a magical creation with him. The picture is hung opposite the bed.And do not forget about gifts and coals, because the fabulous overseer should from time to time remind herself.

Advice

1. Parents re-clean the baby's incisors and molars. Children who are just studying do not take off all the plaque. And if bacteria accumulate, tooth decay will occur, which will have to be treated by a dentist.
2. For the first time, adults not only show how the brush moves, but also control the child’s hand during the hygiene procedure. Thanks to this, he will quickly master a new skill.
3. The kid should brush his teeth in the morning and in the evening, and after eating, it is necessary to rinse the oral cavity with clean water. The liquid washes away food debris and protects the enamel from destruction.

Milk teeth should be brushed from 8 months or a year. So that the procedure does not scare the child, but seems fun and exciting, it is worth choosing the right brush with soft bristles and delicious toothpaste. And turn each hygiene procedure into a competition or game.

Video: how to teach a child to brush his teeth correctly