• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast

How to get kids excited about dental hygiene

March 3, 2022 by Contributing Authors

Dental hygiene is important as far as general health goes, so it’s important to get your kids excited about it early. This will help set a great foundation for their future oral health, something they will thank you for in the long term. Here are some ways that we make dental care fun in our home.

Take Them to a Family Friendly Dentist

To make sure that your kids don’t create a negative association with dentists, find one who knows how to communicate well with children. It’s recommended to take your kids to their first dental visit just after they celebrate their first birthday. Since they’ll still be very young and impressionable, make sure they have a great experience from the very first visit.

Let Them Pick Their Toothpaste and Toothbrush

You should also make the activity more fun for them by letting them pick the toothbrush they want and toothpaste they’ll enjoy. With different flavors of toothpaste available, they can choose one that’s a fun flavor rather than the regular mint flavor. When they know that they’re responsible for their own dental hygiene, they’re likely to be more invested in playing an active role in their dental care.

Make Oral Care a Family Thing

Another tip is to set a good example for your kids by taking good care of your own dental hygiene. A dental checkup is recommended once every six months to help prevent dental problems including cavities. You should never skip any of your appointments. Take your kids with you as well so they get familiar with the environment and know what to expect even if they’re not in the chair. If possible, schedule your checkups to be done as a family. You can also set a time to brush and floss as a family at home so that everyone in the family knows when it’s time for oral care and they don’t put up a fight.

Make it Fun and Entertaining

For young kids, it’s also important to make dental hygiene a fun routine that they look forward to. Look for fun songs to sing while brushing their teeth that will make it fun and help them time their oral routine. When it’s more of a game to them, they’re likely to enjoy it and take part in it willingly. There are endless songs, stories, and cartoons that can be used to make the activity fun and immersive for them. Simply search online for them and you will find more than a few.

Get Oral Issues Addressed Fast

Finally, make oral issues as painless and short-lived as possible by having them looked at as soon as they occur. Call your dentist and schedule an appointment with them and let them know the issue at hand so they can help you diagnose and fix it. Never ignore complaints of oral distress from your child because this may be the main way in which you will be able to identify issues fast. With the CDC saying that over 42% of children aged between two and 11 years will have a cavity, it’s important to ensure that if yours is one of them, they have their issues addressed.

Using the tips above, you can get your kids excited about their dental hygiene. This creates good habits for the future! Their dental hygiene will be one less thing to worry about as your kids grow up.

Filed Under: Kids

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
byPaul Banas

Today we delve into the complexities of fatherhood with David Marcus, Ph.D., an expert with over forty years of experience working with families and children. In this enlightening conversation, we explore the essential components of communicating with your child, focusing on the development of a common emotional language. Learn about the four assumptions of emotionality that parents often make and discover strategies to foster a safe and open environment for meaningful conversations at any age.

Check out Dr. Marcus’ website at parentrx.org

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
144. Exploring Mindful Fatherhood with Odeani Mc Bean
May 6, 2025
Paul Banas
143. Overcoming Dad Burnout with Scott Anderson
April 29, 2025
Paul Banas
142. Building Resilient Kids with Dr. Richard Oelberger
April 24, 2025
Paul Banas
141. Exploring Men’s Sexual Health with Dr. Elliot Justin
April 22, 2025
Paul Banas
140. Instilling Values and Financial Literacy with Barclay Roper
April 15, 2025
Paul Banas
139. Adaptive Cooking Tools and Techniques with Douglas Katz
April 8, 2025
Paul Banas
138. Exploring Masculinity and Men’s Groups with Jason Lange
April 1, 2025
Paul Banas
137. Modern Tech for Kids with Damien Schreurs
March 25, 2025
Paul Banas
136. Addressing the Gender Education Gap with Sean Kullman
March 18, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

Adaptive Cooking Tools and Techniques with Douglas Katz

April 24, 2025 By Paul Banas

Lingo and Stelo CGM kits

How Dads Can Master Glucose Monitoring in 2025

May 14, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad