Watching Cartoons and Visiting Our Family Dentistry Office Can Prevent Cavities

When you visit our family dentistry office, we will discuss multiple ways for you to keep your kids teeth in good health.  We know that this is not always easy and are creative in our approach.  Whether you have a toddler that won't hold still long enough to brush or a teen that is simply too busy, we can help.  When you visit our dental office, we will clean their teeth to remove plaque and bacteria in order to reduce their risk of getting cavities or gum disease.  Simultaneously, we need your help at home and that is where the cartoons come in.

Note:  Brushing teeth at home cannot substitute visiting the dentist nor can having teeth cleaned in our office eliminate the need for at-home care.  Both work together to keep your kids in the best possible oral health.

The American Dental Association has created a kid-friendly website that has tools you can use to promote oral health at home.  One section is full of two minute cartoons and sing-alongs featuring popular shows like Adventure Time.  Each one is two minutes long so that when you play it, your kids know exactly how long to brush teeth for.  When the cartoon is over, they have brushed long enough and can move on.  In the meantime, the is a much easier way to encourage them to brush without causing conflict. Since most kids like watching cartoons, the time will pass without them even noticing.  Under the surface, however, they will be removing pesky bacteria and training their body to brush for the right amount of time.  Even older teens need this reminder because the older they get, the busier they get. However, creating this habit now will help them to remain in good oral health after they graduate, move out and become adults.

If your kids, or you, don't like cartoons, play a song instead.  Simply grab your phone, go to YouTube and play their favorite song. You can make a game of selecting a new one every day and brush with them for fun.  Or you can stick with their favorite until you wear it out.  The choice is up to you but the concept remains the same – music is an upbeat way to make brushing teeth fun.  In our family dentistry office, we like anything that creates a positive association with teeth brushing and this is an easy way to do so.

Once your kids learn to brush for two minutes at a time, make sure that they are brushing correctly.  The ADA also has videos on their website that shows how to brush teeth the right way and by playing it for your kids once a month, it can reinforce what we are showing them in our dental office.  In this way, we can work together to keep your kids in good oral health.  Using media is a simple, modern, and easy way to teach your kids healthy habits and ensure that they continue with them as they grow.  This will help to reduce their risk of getting cavities and developing gum disease, a condition that could eventually lead to tooth loss.  For more tips and suggestions, or to have their teeth cleaned, schedule an appointment at our family dentistry office today.