How to trick your child to brush their teeth?

As soon as their teeth come out, kids seem to develop an aversion to toothbrushes. Because of this, most parents are having a hard time developing a solid dental hygiene routine. Fortunately, there are certain ways that you can learn to trick your child to brush their teeth and bring them back to the germ-free side!

Tips on how to trick your child to brush their teeth

Appealing toothbrush

Ditch the boring toothbrush and replace it with something fun. There are numerous kinds of toothbrushes that are eye-catching in color and design. Some brands even incorporate popular cartoon characters, musicians, and superheroes on the brushes. If these type of toothbrushes aren’t enough to trick your child to brush their teeth, opt for the musical ones instead. There are several toothbrushes that play melodies, nursery rhymes or cartoon soundtracks when used.

Delicious toothpaste

Apart from the fun toothbrush, utilize delicious flavored toothpaste. One way to trick your child to brush their teeth is to pick out toothpaste that’s fruit or candy in flavor. Children are picky with anything that they put in their mouths and this includes vegetables and toothpastes. Avoid fluoride toothpastes as your child may accidentally swallow it.

Brush together

In order to promote dental hygiene and to trick your child to brush their teeth, you should brush your pearly whites too. Most children are prone to copying and if your child sees you constantly brushing your teeth, he/she would do the same too.

If your child doesn’t pick up a toothbrush when you brush your teeth, let your child brush your teeth instead. Show your child how to clean your teeth properly and hopefully, when it is time to brush their teeth, the same dental hygiene technique will be applied.

Show scary pictures/videos

Trick your child to brush their teeth by showing them scary pictures and videos of rotten teeth and swollen gums. Tell them stories as to how painful and difficult it would be if this happens to them because they haven’t practiced proper dental hygiene. With this trick, your child should be brushing their teeth on their own by tomorrow.

Offer rewards

The reward system is a tricky thing. But when executed appropriately, you should be able to trick your child to brush their teeth. Make a chart and put a star or a smile face each time you child brushes their teeth without too many prompts. Once a specific number of faces or stars are reached, you can give your child a well-deserved reward. Pick out rewards that are special but not necessarily material. Opt to give out a favorite candy or snack, additional play time, or a trip to the zoo or park.

Also read: Bad breath ba si baby? Narito ang mga sintomas, sanhi at paggamot dito

Republished with permission from theAsianParent Singapore