Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Brush Chetna Jain September 29, 2022 Parenting, YMK 292 Developing a proper and hygienic teeth brushing can help maintain good breath, prevent cavities and some other dental-related issues, and boost your self-esteem and confidence in the process, which will make you smile, talk and relate to people confidently without the fear of being stereotyped. Installing positive oral habits in your kids in different ways at an early age can be more helpful in building their confidence and self-esteem to enable them to set and achieve any goal they may want to set out. Below are five fun ways to teach your child to brush. Importance Of Installing Positive Oral Care Habit In Your Child At Their Early Age Dental issues cause most kids to go through dental caries and complications at an early age and eventually when they grow old. A research group discovered that about 42% of kids over 2 to 11 years develop dental caries, and they also found out that the same percentage of 6 to 19-year-olds develop caries in their permanent teeth. Installing Positive oral care habits in your child at an early age is very important to avoid them experiencing dental caries. Some other importance includes: Overall Health An average human thinks dental issues only affect the teeth and mouth, but the truth is dental issues also depreciate the child’s overall health. Dental health issues may affect the growth of the child in numerous aspects. Dental health issues impact the child’s feeding, proper breathing, speaking, smiling, and adapting to social activities negatively. Poor dental health may result in pain and discomfort, embarrassment, less confidence, and inability to carry out daily activities. Kids with affected teeth may not develop accordingly, be underweight, show irritability, be vulnerable to disease and sickness, and have more frequent visits to the hospital. Cognitive Development Poor dental hygiene can also cause lower academic performance, as shown by the lesser cognitive outcome and relative impairment of learning ability. Low results are more common, as are school absences, all because of cavities or infection. Whereas regular dental checkups and processes do not typically collide with school attendance, dental emergencies caused by poor oral health care do affect school attendance. The performance of children with poor dental health is abysmal. Chronic Medical Conditions It is a well-known fact that dental infection causes chronic medical issues, with cardiovascular disease and gum disease being highly correlated. Stroke and diabetes are other issues that are caused by poor oral health. Other Preventable Conditions Constant checkups of the teeth and gums in kids also assist in discovering many other known health issues such as vitamin deficiencies, bruxism, and acid reflux. The early discovery of these health issues enables the prevention and early treatment of tooth decay. Psychosocial Consequences Poor dental health can also lead to a number of psychosocial consequences in childhood and adolescence. For example, a constant toothache can cause kids to be more aggressive and fail to maintain emotional equilibrium, and it can also cause kids to be reserved among their peers and society members in every social activity. These children have a higher probability of nursing thought of being worthless, unhappiness or depression, fear of being friendly, and an increased tendency to feel and act shy. These findings are more common in grownups with bad oral health. Challenges Faced by Parents While Trying to Install Good Oral Habit in Their Kids Majority of parents encounter so many challenges while trying to teach their children good oral habits, and some of these challenges include: Loss of interest in brushing: many kids nowadays find brushing extremely painful and prefer not to brush their teeth every time. The bitter experience of brushing makes kids lose interest in brushing, making their teeth vulnerable and exposed to cavities and some other dental issues. It is essential for parents to make brushing their teeth mandatory for their kids so as not to deter their social life and self-esteem. Love for candies and teeth-wrecking junks: it is not a hidden fact that children at an early age love to consume lots of sweets and sugar, which is very harmful to their oral health. Their urge to always consume candies and teeth-wrecking junks can make their teeth vulnerable to dental health issues. Parents must make sure not to expose their kids to too many sweets and sugar to maintain good oral habits. Not wanting to go for checkups: most kids don’t like visiting the hospital for regular checkups and early detection of any infection or dental issues; this habit can make their teeth vulnerable to dental problems. The parents must ensure that their kids always go for a regular checkup to maintain excellent oral practice. 5 Fun Ways to Teach Your Child to Brush Maintaining good oral habits in kids can be stressful, but it is mandatory to boost your kids’ confidence and social life. Brushing is one way of maintaining good oral habits in your kids. Despite the stressful process of brushing, below are five fun ways to make your children interested in brushing. * Always make sure to brush with the whole family to make your children accustomed to brushing and making it a habit. * Always try to give out rewards to your kids whenever they brush their teeth. This process will make your kids develop the desire to brush their teeth all the time. * Always try to tell a story or crack jokes during the brushing section with your kids * Make them visit a dentist that is always jovial during checkups * Always remind them of the consequences of not brushing your teeth funnily. Though installing good oral habits in your kids can be stressful at times, always try to maintain excellent oral habits in your kids to avoid future consequences. Also, make them visit a qualified pediatric dentist for regular checks to reduce the risk of contracting any dental issues. SHARE THIS POST