The benefits of flossing are enough to persuade most adults to make it part of their regular dental hygiene routine. Family dentistry recommends flossing daily to get rid of plaque, reduce the risk of cavities, prevent gum disease, and take care of bad breath. As good as this sounds, facts alone won’t persuade a distracted toddler to floss.
6 Family Dentistry Ideas For Fun Flossing
Replacing facts with fun is a great way to introduce your kids to floss their teeth and help them build a life-long habit that provides all the benefits of early dental care. Here are six ideas you can try to get your kids flossing happily.
1. Make Flossing Musical
Crank up a happy song while they floss. Music is a wonderful boredom-buster and can make flossing time pass quickly. Finding flossing songs on the internet can help your child feel a sense of camaraderie as they see and hear other children doing the same thing they’re doing.
For an older child, choose a rhythm that they can floss in time for an extra challenge. While flossing is best-done standing still, let your child have a half-time happy dance to help them get their wriggles out before finishing.
2. Find Flavored Floss
Let your child pick out the flavor of their floss to add a bit of variety to brushing time. Some kids may not enjoy the strong taste of mint but will happily try a fruity flavor instead. Experiment with different types and flavors to find your child’s favorite.
3. Follow-the-Path Flossing
When your child is comfortable flossing without a mirror, lay out about 30 pieces of paper in a long, windy path down the passage or through the house. For each tooth gap they floss, they get to move forward by stepping onto the next paper.
Add more fun by writing encouraging phrases or drawing a happy face, thumbs-up, or other pictures to motivate your child or make them laugh. Add after-floss instructions to some of the pages, such as: