It takes a village to raise a child, so the saying goes, but some lessons are best learned in the home. As a responsible parent, whether you homeschool or not, you know that one of your primary responsibilities is to teach your child about taking care of themselves. An important lesson they should learn early on in life from you is how to keep their smile healthy and strong. Here are some ideas for teaching oral health to make the process more fun and successful for everyone!
Read Fun Books
Some areas of dental health can seem scary right at first, such as visiting the dentist or losing a tooth. However, most kids love hearing a story, and plenty of books out there discuss oral health issues. Specifically, you can find books . . .
About dental checkups:
- Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer
- The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist
About losing baby teeth:
- Arthur’s Tooth by Marc Brown
- Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
About brushing teeth:
- Brush Your Teeth Please! by Leslie McGuire
- Teeth Rex Brushes His Teeth by Dee Smith
Introducing the idea of these dental health concepts with a cute, fun story breaks the ice and can make the topic much less intimidating and more relatable for your little one.
Hands-On Learning
While reading books and talking about a concept may work for some kids, others learn best in other ways. For example, many process new content best when they can touch and interact. When it comes to teaching about dental health, you have several activities you can do to further illustrate the importance and methods used for oral care.
One fun activity involves large Legos (such as Duplos or Megablocks), playdough, and yarn to demonstrate how to floss. Another entails using hardboiled eggs to show how teeth are affected by different foods and drinks. Be creative to make the lesson interesting yet educational!
Practice, Practice, Practice
Learning any new skill requires time, patience, and plenty of practice; brushing and flossing are no different. To make these daily tasks more fun, you can play music, use a sticker chart, brush and floss together as a family, or offer a small reward for consistency. You can also take advantage of several dental health apps available, such as Toothsavers Brushing Game, Disney Magic Timer by Oral-B, Chomper Chums, Brush DJ, and more.
Ultimately, by using these teaching methods, you can emphasize how important it is for your child to keep their pearly whites clean and healthy, a skill that will serve them well throughout their lifetime. When you take the time to educate your child, you show them that small efforts can make a huge difference!
About the Practice
Williamsburg Dental is proud to have six Lincoln offices that are staffed by a total of nine skilled, friendly dentists. We welcome patients of all ages, including young children and strive to make their experience rewarding and educational. If you would like to schedule an appointment for your child, contact one of our locations by phone or visiting our Contact Us page here.