Reasons Why Your Kids Refuse to Brush Their Teeth – Santa Rosa, CA

Convincing children to brush their teeth is a constant struggle of parents. When it’s time for them to get their little ones to practice oral hygiene, a typical scenario of kids shaking their heads in refusal is expected. What’s the reason behind your child’s tantrums during teeth-brushing time? We at Cascade Family Dental named a few of the possible things that make children hate their brushing routine.

Why Kids Hate Brushing Their Teeth?

• Reason #1 – They find the activity boring

There’s nothing interesting about teeth-brushing. Simply rocking the toothbrush back and forth in your mouth for approximately two minutes is a tedious thing. How much more to children? Little ones like fun stuff, so you have to make their oral hygiene as engaging as possible. Below are some of the brushing ideas for kids that you can actually implement at home:

• The use of a fancy hourglass or toothbrush with a built-in timer to keep watch of your child’s brushing duration in a playful way.
• Purchasing a toothbrush with a child-friendly design is useful. You can choose singing toothbrush for your kids or oral care tools with their favorite cartoon characters.
• You can conduct a brushing lesson to your kids using entertaining mediums like books or videos that encourage children to brush.

• Reason #2 – They find brushing a painful task

The gums and other oral tissues of children are still tender. One of the reasons why they usually get discouraged in brushing their teeth is that they do not like the sensation that the bristles give them. We recommend the use of soft-bristled toothbrush solely to avoid any pain and sensitiveness. If your child experiences teeth sensitivity, you can also bring them to our office at Cascade Family Dental for fluoride applications under our pediatric dentistry service.

• Reason #3 – They lack motivation

As a parent, it is your job to motivate your children to practice good oral hygiene every day. And by effectively encouraging them, you need to set as an example. Children tend to follow the things that the elderly are doing. If you brush, they too will take time to clean their mouths. But if you are not making an effort to stay on track with your oral care routine, expect your kids to do the same. In the end, we all need to really ‘practice what we preach.’

For your child’s oral health, seek our assistance at Cascade Family Dental! We have a wide selection of Pediatric Dentistry services in Santa Rosa, CA. You can find our clinic at 925 Corporate Center Pkwy., Suite-G, Santa Rosa, CA 95407.