Building a Healthy Brushing Routine

Sometimes it’s a small victory just to get your kids to bed at night. We get it.

Maybe they’re sleeping in their Halloween costume (again). Maybe they didn’t brush their teeth. But that can wait until tomorrow, right?

​Establishing a regular dental hygiene routine isn’t just important for your children’s oral health today, but it also builds lifelong healthy habits. Sure, we’re all going to miss or forget sometimes, but we owe it to our kids to try our best.

Here are some of the tips I typically share with parents about helping their kids establish a regular rhythm of proper dental hygiene:
​

• Brush twice a day. Once after breakfast and once before bed. It’s important not to eat or drink anything after the night-time brushing to allow the fluoride to set on the teeth while sleeping.
• Brush for two minutes. It may sound like a long time, but it’s important. Here is a trick: brush your teeth alongside your kids so you’re in this all together. (Plus, you’ll probably find you’re brushing longer and more regularly, too.)
• Choose a soft brush and don’t brush too hard. As for the toothpaste, ask the pediatric dentist if your child should be using one with fluoride. It can fluctuate depending on your child.
  
  

It’s tough in the beginning. But know that the more you get your children to keep their healthy brushing routine, the easier it will become. And if you’re at your wit’s end, try this: go to the drugstore and let your kid pick out their favorite character toothbrush, whether it’s a Ninja Turtle or a Minnie Mouse. Now that’s something they can look forward to.

---