The tween years bring a lot of change into your family’s life. Suddenly, your little kid stops being so little. They typically want more independence and begin to develop their own personality and preferences.
That doesn’t mean everything has to change, though. Irene Zaki, DDS, also provides pediatric dental services to tweens. That means you can continue to see our team at Happy Teeth Children’s Dentistry in Riverside, California.
That can be particularly helpful when you have a tween who’s not overly excited about oral hygiene. If you’re having a hard time motivating your tween to brush their teeth, we’ve got a few tips to help.
Tweens love having cool stuff, and that extends to their toothbrush and toothpaste.
They make toothbrushes styled to suit a wide range of interests, from unicorns to Pokémon. And toothpastes come in plenty of flavors beyond mint.
Work with your tween to find oral hygiene tools they’re excited about. They’re a lot more likely to reach for something they think looks cool or tastes good.
The pre-teen and teen years present the perfect time to develop your own music taste. You can give your tween motivation to brush and the chance to explore their favorite tracks at the same time.
Dental experts, including Dr. Zaki, recommend that tweens brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day. Have your tween make a playlist of their favorite songs around that length to listen to while they brush.
The tween years can be self-conscious ones. You can use that to your advantage here.
Remind your tween that not brushing leads to yellow teeth and bad breath. Caring about how they look and smell to their peers might be enough to motivate them.
Be consistent about visiting Dr. Zaki and our team every six months. This way, Dr. Zaki can examine your tween’s mouth and evaluate how well their oral hygiene routine is working.
If it’s falling short, it usually means more coming from a medical expert than mom or dad. Dr. Zaki can clearly explain the consequences of not brushing to your tween.
This also gives you a steady leg to stand on at home. You can simply remind them of what Dr. Zaki said.
Finally, remember that your tween is watching you. The behaviors you model shape their own behaviors. Make sure they know that you brush twice a day, every day.
Getting your tween to brush shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth. We can help you motivate them to establish good oral hygiene habits. Call Happy Teeth Children’s Dentistry or schedule online today.
