It can be very difficult to get your kids to take care of their teeth, at least it was with mine, and it is a process which is absolutely necessary, but not exactly easy. Here in California, especially San Diego and Los Angeles, there is a very conscious attitude to teaching people about great oral care and despite how many people went into my kid’s schools to talk about it, they just didn’t really seem to care. The one person who has helped massively is Dr. Kami Hoss, who works out of San Diego and who I am more than happy to travel to visit from Los Angeles, because of how much he has helped with the kids. If you are looking to get your kids interested in dental care, here is what worked for me.
Change Dentist
The best decision that I made was to find a dentist who was great with kids, and that is the reason why I travel from LA to SD every 6 months. Dr. Hoss is brilliant with kids and he made mine feel very comfortable and taught them an awful lot about the importance of good dental care. IT can’t just be your voice that the kids hear, which is why you need a great dentist.
Explaining
Something which parents are often guilty of is telling their kids to do something without ever really explaining why. In terms of getting the kids to brush their teeth and avoid sugary foods, I found that this was exactly what I was doing. I changed my approach and started to explain to the kids why I was asking them to take care of their teeth, and it really helped them to understand what I was telling them.
Shock
I must confess that I did try a little bit of shock therapy on the kids, and showed them some awful photos of people who hadn’t looked after their teeth properly. It did give one of my kids a nightmare to be honest, but I do think that it did the trick, take this one at your own risk.
Doing it Together
Setting a good example to your kids around what to eat and how to look after teeth is very important, and so too is getting involved with the process. Dr. Hoss suggested that we brush our teeth as a family in the morning and at night, and I can’t believe how much the kids went for it. The 7 o’clock club was created and we all committed that every morning and night at 7, we would brush our teeth together. I can’t tell you how excited the kids get for this and it has played a really important part in helping the kids to realize just how important it is that they rake care of their teeth.
If you are having problems with your kids looking after their teeth, give these tips a try.