Exploring Health Concerns and Treatments

If you are trying to teach your child to floss, you may wonder how you can go about getting them to floss regularly. If so, use the following tips for getting your child into the habit of flossing.

Create a Flossing Rewards Chart

One way to instill the habit of flossing into your child is to create a flossing rewards chart. The chart gives your child a visual representation of how many days in a row they have succeeded in flossing their teeth. 

Print off a monthly calendar, and place stickers on the days your child flosses. Use stickers that represent your child's favorite cartoon character to enhance their interest.

Laminate the calendar to protect it from water splashes, and put it on the wall in the bathroom your child uses. After so many days, such as a week, you can give them a reward for sticking with the daily habit. 

When choosing the reward, do not use candy or sweets, as the sugar could sabotage your efforts of having your child perform oral hygiene. You do not want the reward for taking care of their teeth to be something that can cause cavities.

Make Flossing an Adventure

Another thing you can do to motivate your child to floss and make the activity fun for them is to make flossing an adventurous time. You can do this by crafting a story around flossing, also turning it into story time.

You could start by saying the germs and food between your child's teeth are the bad guys or monsters. They hide in wait, peeking out from behind the tooth. Then, tell your child that they are the only person who can stop these evil fiends.

Make them the hero of the story who can save the kingdom with their sole weapon, which is dental floss. As your child flosses around each tooth, cheer them on, telling them they have defeated another enemy. As they get closer to the last tooth, encourage them by stating they have almost succeeded in saving the kingdom.

When they are finished, remind them that while their teeth are safe, other fiends will arrive the next day. This will keep them motivated to complete the adventure again.

The above tips are only some of the ways to make flossing time fun and memorable. For more tips on how to teach your little one about the importance of regular dental care, discuss it with your family dentist the next time your child has their checkup.