A Teenager's Guide to Braces

Your children need to worry about their teeth, but sometimes it is hard to get your kids to care. Do not fret; you have a lot of resources available, like your dentist. And you can also consider the following 3 ways to get your children involved in the health of their teeth. 

1. Teach Them A Few Interesting Facts

Some kids like to learn strange facts. You can ask your dentist to share some facts with you, and you can start with the following:

• You produce 1 quart of saliva per day.
• Dolphin's teeth are not for chewing because they do not have jaw muscles.
• Your mouth may have around three hundred types of bacteria at any given time.
• Around 48 percent of people notice your smile before anything else.
• A crocodile bird flies into a crocodile's mouth to clean his/her teeth.

2. Tooth-Cleaning Games

Games are always fun and might interest your kids. Consider some of the following to get your children excited about brushing their teeth:

1. Try lip-karaoke, as they brush their teeth. 
2. Try a guessing game by letting your children draw a picture on the bathroom mirror with toothpaste.
3. You can have your children mime, and act like a translator as they brush their teeth. This can be a fun game of misinterpretations. 

And remember to make sure that your children brush their teeth for two minutes and twice a day, as recommended by your dentist. And take the following pointers into consideration:

• Teach your children to brush bacteria away from their gums and not towards them.
• Do not let them brush too hard, as that might weaken their enamel. The bristles should only bend slightly as they brush. 

You can ask your dentist about any other pointers that are specific to your children and other possible games to consider.

3. Tickle Their Taste Buds

Believe it or not, there are a few sweeteners that will not be detrimental to your children's teeth. You can use them to make some tooth-friendly treats, as treats with these ingredients are not widely sold. Consider the following tooth-friendly and dental-enhancing sweeteners:

• Raw honey, which contains enzymes that kill oral pathogens. Raw honey also dehydrates the bacteria in your child's mouth due to its osmotic nature.
• Xylitol is another sugar that your children can have. Bacteria cannot feed on this type of sugar and should starve.

As you can see, there are a few things you can do to get your children interested in their oral health. For more tips, contact a pediatric dentist or visit websites like http://www.cretzmeyer.com.