Building Healthy Dental Habits for You and Your Family

Building healthy dental habits can be hard! As a child, you need guidance from your parents and professionals about the best way to do things. Teens might know how to brush, but may not be doing it long or often enough. Even as an adult, it can be hard to maintain routines. We’ve all heard consistency is key, but measuring your effectiveness, tracking dedication, and rewarding good behavior also help support your progress. We have collected some tips, tricks, and tools to make dental care habits a little smoother.

Turn the two-minute brushing time into a fun event!

Brushes and paste can be overstimulating, cumbersome, and confusing, especially to a small child. Make it easier with timers, guided songs, and games. Keep it simple with a kitchen or sand timer, or go more high-tech with an app. Apps like Brush DJ app use catchy songs and lights to keep kids on track. Chompers Chums, Toothsavers, and Brusheez Little Monsters are apps featuring fun characters and games that help guide kids, keep them entertained, and help build habits. 

Visualize your effectiveness!

Another way to see how effective your brushing is is to use color-changing paste, brushes, or mouthwash. Some brands have products that change color based on timing. Others highlight plaque showing missed spots for targeted brushing. Disclosing tablets are an easy and safe way to show how plaque builds up on teeth. These chewable tablets stain plaque with a bright color, making it easy to spot and brush away.

Try a different brush.

If you are struggling to get a toothbrush into your child’s mouth at all, try a different way of brushing. The Autobrush and other U-shaped dental brushes can be a helpful alternative to traditional manual toothbrushes. Using soft nylon bristles in a U-shape, the brush head is inserted into the mouth, and the brushing occurs automatically with a gentle back-and-forth motion. This product has gotten a lot of attention from parents of children with special needs, autism, and sensory issues. The Autobrush is accepted by the ADA, so it is a tested and approved product you can bring into your toolbox.

Take note of your teeth and bite.

Some orthodontic issues can contribute to difficulty in maintaining dental health. Crowding, difficulty chewing or biting, oral habits such as thumb sucking, mouth breathing, speech difficulties, jaw pain, and early or late loss of baby teeth can all indicate underlying issues that may require orthodontic intervention. Learn more about these and the role of orthodontic evaluations on our blog.

Get in the flossing flow!

If flossing habits are harder to maintain, try an alternative like water flossing. Water flossers use a stream of water to clear away plaque. They are easy to handle and require less manual manipulation and pressure than moving floss in and around teeth. These devices are great for folks with braces, too! If you have braces and need more insight into their care, check out our guide.

Track and grow!

As kids grow, we want to empower them to brush their own teeth. There are ways of tracking so we can make sure they don’t fall behind. Many mentioned apps have their own tracking and rewards, but you can always use paper and stickers, or your own allowance system for support. We’ve provided a downloadable pdf you can use to track your dental habits here.

A device like Truthbrush, with the corresponding app, helps build both habits and independence. Working similarly to a fitness tracker, the Truthbrush creates a 3D model of your mouth while you brush, detecting what you do well and what you can improve. With this device, track family members’ brushing habits, as understanding their behavior helps you coach and support better habits. Tracking helps you reward good behavior and helps habits stick! Whichever method you choose, having a way to visualize your habit-building is a great way to stay consistent and work towards your goals.

These tips and tricks should help you build habits that support your dental health. If you think you or your child might need an orthodontic evaluation for additional support, sign up for a free consultation at Yang Orthodontics!

*Disclaimer: Yang Orthodontics is unaffiliated and does not receive financial compensation from any of the apps or brands listed above. This article serves as an educational resource.