Kids get their 2nd set of teeth for a reason. They eat all sorts of things that almost guarantee ruining their teeth; sweets, candies, chocolates, ice cream, and what not. The thing is, we cannot keep stopping them from eating these savories because that would be like taking away a big chunk of their childhood from them.
However, excess sweets and such create major dentistry problems in kids. Moreover, permanent teeth cannot grow properly if the milk-teeth have not been taken care of properly. Below, we have discussed a few practices for your kid which would help delay or even prevent a visit to the dentist.
1. Develop a habit of tooth-brushing
In order to delay or avoid visits to the dentist for kids, make it a habit for kids to brush their teeth regularly. You can make this a fun and enjoyable activity by letting them choose the toothbrush and toothpaste of their choice. You can also find toothbrushes in the market that resemble a cartoon character, play music, or emit light while brushing. Your kids would love to brush their teeth because brushing will be like playing or having fun and toothbrush can be their new toy.
2. Demonstrate dental care, not just teach
Instead of telling your child to brush and floss their teeth, why don’t you rather show it by your habit? When your kid sees you treating your teeth with care, they will definitely want to imitate your behavior. They will copy you and your habits, and this will develop their habit of taking care of dental health – enabling you to prevent major dentistry problems in kids.
You must also explain to them how brushing has helped you in fighting against the germs, plaque and cavities. They would start associating dental care with a sense of heroism – inspiring and motivating them to make brushing their habit.
3. Game playing and Roleplaying
Turn anything related to dentistry into a game, something for your kids to enjoy; give them points, or turn it into a story. Apart from daily habits, you can prepare your child for their visits to the dentist with the help of dentist or role-playing games. That would save you from tantrums which kids love to throw when they have to visit the doctor. This would also make their visit happy and exciting because they would think of it as a game or adventure. It’s essentially a positive reinforcement technique, turning dentistry into something you and your kids can enjoy and bond over.
4. Do not pass on the bacteria
You can minimize the need for dentistry for kids by defending your kid against mouth bacteria. Harmful bacteria do not just happen to be in a child’s mouth. It’s mostly transmitted by parents, caretakers or other sources. You must avoid sharing of utensils, kissing infants too much and other such things which might become carriers for bacteria. Also teach your kids not to insert random items in their mouth, such as stationary, bag straps, clothes etc.
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