A Teenager's Guide to Braces

It's not always easy keeping a kid interested and active in their dental hygiene. So, when you have a little one who is reluctant to brush, floss, and rinse a couple of times each day, what do you do? Here, you'll find a few tips that can help you keep your little one on track to a healthy future.

Use a Pediatric Dentist

If you don't already, make sure that you're taking your kid to a pediatric dentist. While family dental practices can treat kids, when kids are particularly difficult when it comes to caring for their teeth, the extra professionalism and kid-care techniques that pediatric dentists have will go a long way in making your kid feel more comfortable during the visits.

When making the first appointment, make sure to inquire about the availability of appointments within the practice. Some practices have too many patients and it can take several weeks or months to get an appointment for a general cleaning and a day or two for emergency care.

Provide Variety

Some kids do better if they have some sort of power over the situation at hand. Offering a variety of toothpaste and rinse flavors, as well as some fun toothbrushes, can make getting into the bathroom to brush, floss, and rinse a little less of a battle. Every now and then, pick up a new product to add to the brushing station. This can be new flossers, a new brush, or new flavors of products—as long as it gives your little one a taste of excitement during brush-time, it will help to improve the situation for both of you.

Have a Brush Party

Take your phone with you for brush time and let your little one pick out a song to brush to. Brushing while dancing to favorite songs is very helpful in keeping your kid brushing long enough to get all of the grit and grime off of their teeth. Jump in and join the tooth brushing dance party every morning and every night before bed—this could easily turn into your favorite routine with your kid.

Don't worry—you're not alone when it comes to the battle of the toothbrush. Fortunately, there are some really great pediatric dentists out there that can help you create a dental care regimen that your kid will be interested in keeping up with. Hopefully, the tips above will help you and your kid get through this challenging time.

For more information, contact a pediatric dentist.