Last time we discussed how to tackle a slippery octopus, otherwise know a 2 year old, in order to brush their teeth. My 2 year old grandson can be like a jellyfish – one minute you have a hold of him the next he’s hiding behind the couch – squishing right through your hands! Here’s a few more things you can try at toothbrushing time with your small children, Tips 3-6:
COUNT TO FIVE
Try having your own teeth brushed vigorously by a laughing 4-year-old and a 2-year-old with poor hand-eye coordination - that taught me another important lesson: When brushing, it's important to take breaks. Brushing all four fourths of your mouth without a break can feel claustrophobic and suffocating to a child. So, every sleep-over night I brush to five. At five, we stop, close our mouths, swallow, take a breath, open our mouths and brush to five again. To make it fun, sometimes I sing to five, sometimes I count like Arnold Schwarzenegger and sometimes I count in Spanish. But I always stop at five. I don't want to ruin his trust; it's fragile. This means I may count to five an average of 10 times a night if that's how many times it takes to get clean.
NAME YOUR CHILD’S TEETH
I've found that giving each tooth a name is fun. This works at home or in the dental office. For new patient exams, I'll give each tooth I see a name. "I see Abby and Betsy and Candice and Dorothy. Hello Everett, Freddy and Grayson.” Children find it amazing that so many names could fit in their mouth.
ADOPT A BRUSING BUDDY
Some kids are teachers - they like to lead the group and tell everyone else what to do. For these young scholars, I might suggest a Brushing Buddy. A Brushing Buddy can be a teddy bear, a doll or any similar inanimate object. It should not be your cat, dog or similar living creature! Have your young educator demonstrate good toothbrushing habits to his Brushing Buddy. Maybe even buy your child's Brushing Buddy its own toothbrush.
