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How to Make Flossing Teeth Fun for Your Child

In recent years, surveys have shown that more than 50% of American adults don't floss their teeth at all. They've also suggested that almost 50% of the adults who do floss only do it about once each week.

If you fall into either of these categories, you should make flossing teeth more of a priority so that you can set a better example for your kids. You're going to have a tough time trying to make flossing fun for your kids when they know that you're not embracing the importance of flossing yourself.

Outside of figuring out how to floss your teeth on a regular basis, you should also make a concerted effort to show your kids that flossing can be fun. There are different things you can do to make this possible.

Check out how you can make flossing teeth fun for your child below.

Hang Up a Flossing Chart in the Bathroom
There are people who don't floss for all kinds of reasons these days. But more often than not, they don't do it simply because they forget to take the time to get it done while they're busy brushing their teeth.

To help your kids remember to floss their teeth, you should hang up a flossing chart in your bathroom. It'll give your kids a chance to mark off the fact that they've flossed each day. You might even want to go as far as to reward your kids for flossing when they reach a particular milestone on their flossing chart.

You'll find that your kids will start to look forward to flossing teeth when they get to mark it off on a flossing chart in your bathroom. It's one of the best ways to get kids flossing without you having to beg them to do it every time.

Allow Your Child to Choose Their Own Floss
If you buy your child a plain old pack of floss without any frills, it's probably not going to motivate them to want to floss very much. But if you buy a pack of floss with their favorite Disney character or superhero on it, it will be a much different story.

Try to Floss with Your Child When You Can
As we alluded to earlier, it's going to be a struggle to get your child to floss if you don't floss yourself. They might even go as far as to ask you why they have to floss when you're not making it a point to floss, too.

To get around this, you should come up with a time each day when both you and your child can floss together. They'll like this routine and will respond more favorably to it than they would if you were to make them floss alone.

You'll also find that flossing with your child will give you an opportunity to show them how to floss more effectively. You'll know that they're flossing in the right way when you can sit and watch them do it.

Tell Your Child What a Difference Flossing Teeth is Making
After your child is finished brushing and flossing their teeth, you should tell them to open wide so that you can check out the inside of their mouth. You should then proceed to tell your child how good their teeth look and what a big difference you're seeing thanks to their flossing.

This kind of positive encouragement is going to go a long way when it comes to getting your child excited about flossing. It'll also make your child so much more comfortable with the idea of smiling and showing off their teeth, which is something they might not feel comfortable with otherwise.

Encourage Your Child to Let Their Dentist Know They've Been Flossing
As a parent, it's going to be imperative that you take your child to see a dentist every six months throughout their entire childhood. By doing this, you'll give a dentist the chance to check out your child's teeth and make sure they're in good shape.

You'll also give your child the chance to brag about how much they've been brushing and flossing their teeth. It'll provide them with a sense of accomplishment and give them a great feeling inside. You might want to just make sure that you pull your child's dentist to the side in advance to let them know how hard they've been working to keep their teeth clean. It'll get you and your child's dentist on the same page and let the dentist know that they should try to offer up praise to your child on how well they're doing with their flossing.

All these things should work together to make flossing teeth fun for your child. You won't have to worry about begging them to floss anymore.

Visit Our Office to Get More Flossing Tips for Kids
Would you like to get some more flossing tips that you can use to help make flossing teeth fun for your child? Duffy Dental Ranch can provide you with them. We can also provide you with the dental services that your child will need to keep their teeth strong and healthy. We welcome you to make an appointment for your child today.

Contact us now to arrange to have your child seen by Dr. Duffy.