Reasons why children avoid brushing their teeth

One of the common struggles of parenting is getting children who don’t brush their teeth into the habit. Although it can be tiring for parents, it is normal for children to go through phases where they resist and struggle with brushing their teeth. It is very important for children to brush twice a day for two minutes using a soft toothbrush.

When children do not want to brush their teeth, there can be many reasons for this. Here are the most common reasons:

Control and independence

At many different stages throughout their development, children go through periods of wanting to control themselves. It is very common for children to want to gain control/independence when they first develop independence at a young age, when they go to school early and during adolescence. However, it is recommended that children continue to brush their teeth together under parental supervision until they are 9 years old. It has been observed that resistant children adapt when they act with their parents.

Not understanding or not caring about hygiene

Children often do not pay attention to personal hygiene and do not notice bad breath. The benefits of tooth brushing and the importance of oral health should be explained. Intimidation should not be used.

Sensory problems

A difficult issue to overcome when it comes to children brushing their teeth is sensory issues. A child who is hypersensitive to touch or feel often does not like or will not allow brushing.

Common tactics to accustom children to brushing their teeth

Consistency and Patience

Tooth brushing is a lifelong marathon. When your child resists tooth brushing, you should patiently explain its importance and continue brushing together.

Reward

A small reward that you can link to acceptance and participation in tooth brushing is a very effective strategy. One example is that many parents read a certain bedtime book to their young children only if they brush their teeth. Another motivation is to mark the days when teeth are brushed on a calendar and give the child a small reward when there are no free days in that month. This reward can be preparing a favourite dish.

Fear Motivation

Fear is often not a useful tool for motivating children when it comes to brushing their teeth. This can lead to your child developing a phobia about dental treatment in the future. Instead of scare tactics such as ‘if you don’t brush your teeth, you will have to go to the dentist’, where going to the dentist is shown as a bad thing, positive motivations such as ‘if you brush your teeth, it will be a short time when we go to the dentist’ will be useful.

The most important thing to understand when it comes to children and tooth brushing is consistency. You should be patient until your child gains the habit of brushing teeth.

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