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We all understand that good oral hygiene is important for the health of our teeth, gums and mouth. This means regular check-ups with your dentist and of course introducing a good tooth brushing routine at home is essential.

As any parent will tell you however, not all children are receptive to the idea of brushing their teeth, in fact, some children will clamp their mouth shut and do anything to avoid their toothbrush. But don’t worry if you are struggling to get your children to brush their teeth properly and on a regular basis, here are three simple tips that might just help you:

1.Get the Right Equipment

Let your child help to choose a toothbrush, perhaps they have a favourite colour or a character they love, this might just help to do the trick. You can even get kits that come with stickers that allow your child to personalise their brush. Think beyond mint when looking at toothpaste as well, not everybody likes mint, so try a different flavour for your children it might just make them happier to use their toothbrush. Our childrens dentistry experts are on hand at London Dental Smiles to offer advice on which toothpaste is best and which toothbrush to buy.

2. Make it Fun

Let’s face it children like to have fun, and tooth brushing doesn’t need to be boring. There are some great tooth brushing apps out there that give great childrens dentistry tips and you can use to time the two minutes that is recommended for brushing. Play some music, let your children pick the song and then play it whilst they brush their teeth.

There are also other things you can do including giving your child a toothbrush for their favourite toy so they can brush their teeth as well.

3. Rewards

If all else fails consider a reward chart, don’t think of it as bribery, offer simple rewards and make sure you set up a good routine. Hopefully, your children will respond well to this and as time goes on they will get used to the routine and you should find that you can scale the rewards back.

If you have tried everything you can think of and you are still having trouble getting your child to brush their teeth, then you may want to consider a visit to your dentist. They will be able to do a check-up of your child’s teeth and discuss the importance of brushing them daily with them.

Our team of childrens dentistry experts will be delighted to welcome you to London Dental Smiles, talk through the importance of brushing your teeth with your child and give them a general checkup as well.