National Children’s Dental Health Month

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, when the focus of dental professionals shifts to the youth across America. Children’s dental health education is important because proper oral health education sets them up with healthy habits later on in life. In honor of NCDHM, here are a few tips to helping your child get off on the right foot with oral care.

Make brushing fun!

Parents know what a nightmare it can be to try and get kids to brush and floss. Thankfully, there are some strategies for making toothbrush time into playtime. Try singing songs, playing games, or using one of the countless apps available for making brushing kids’ teeth fun! To see a list of apps great for enhancing your child’s experience, visit http://www.kiddycharts.com/health/colgate-8-tooth-brushing-apps-for-kids/.

Get creative with the tooth fairy

If you are the type of parents that want to incorporate the tooth fairy into your child’s life, there are all sorts of ways to get creative and make it fun! Losing teeth can be traumatic for some kids, so the tooth fairy can help turn the experience into a positive one. For instance, use glitter as “fairy dust” and sprinkle some on the dollar you leave behind, or use doll shoes to leave glittery footprints. You could even make a little receipt from the tooth fairy along with the dollar. To view some creative ways to show that the tooth fairy stopped by, visit http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/19-insanely-clever-tooth-fairy-ideas-your-kid-will-never-for?utm_term=.flxZLLDwX#.yjl2MMb60

Make the dentist less scary

Make sure to visit a dentist who specializes in pediatrics. Pediatric dentists are specialized in dealing with both the dental health needs as well as their emotional needs. They know how to make a trip to the dentist less scary. If children have fun while at the dentist, they will have a better attitude toward dental health. They may even look forward to coming to the dentist! To learn more about pediatric dentistry, visit http://www.chicagofamilydentistry.com/

Lead by example

The very best way to ensure that your child develops good dental health habits is to show them how. Your children learn the most by watching you, so if you make sure to let them see you brush and floss your teeth frequently, they will be more inclined to be interested in it. Not only will exercising good oral health habits benefit your child—it will benefit you! Your whole family will have happy, healthy mouths!