Establishing excellent oral health habits early can be one of the best ways to set your child up for a lifetime of great health, and proper teeth-brushing techniques are a crucial part of keeping your kid’s smile clean and beautiful. Kids aren’t known for always being cooperative when their parents are trying to teach them how to brush their teeth, but knowing how to praise your child can be a great way to encourage them to learn. Here’s how praising your kid can help them develop a great oral health routine.
How Can Praising My Child Help Them Learn to Brush Their Teeth?
A recent study found that praising a child for brushing their teeth generally falls into one of two categories, those being:
- Action praise: Phrases such as “good job” or “way to go” convey to the child that they are doing the task properly, which can encourage them to continue their effort. This can be a great way to help them develop good habits.
- Person praise: Phrases like “good boy” or “good girl” convey a sense of expectation about the child’s ability, which can cause them anxiety and make them more rigid in the habits they are developing. This may not be the best way to encourage your child to develop an adaptive and effective oral hygiene regimen.
This study found that it is generally best to praise the child’s actions, as this will help them understand excellent oral health as an attainable goal that they are competent enough to achieve.
How Else Can I Encourage Excellent Brushing Habits?
Children learn many of their habits by imitating adults, so one of the best things you can do to help your child develop an excellent brushing routine is to show them how you maintain one yourself. It’s a great idea to brush your teeth alongside your child so they can observe and imitate how you clean each surface of each tooth for about thirty seconds and take special care to clean your teeth with short, gentle, circular strokes. This will help them establish excellent oral health skills that they will eventually apply independently.
Don’t let bad brushing habits compromise your child’s beautiful smile. Praising your child’s oral hygiene appropriately will help them establish great habits that keep them healthy for life.
About the Author
Dr. Ryne S. Paulson earned his dental degree at Creighton University and completed a two-year residency in Hawaii. He takes great pride in helping the children of Casper develop excellent oral health habits. His office provides pediatric general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. To learn more about helping your child learn to brush their teeth, contact his practice online or dial (307) 266-1997.