Children with special needs require extra patience and care when it comes to helping them perform tasks that make them anxious or upset. If you're the parent of a special needs child and your child hates brushing and flossing, here are a few tips to make it easier.
Be Creative
Brushing and flossing is a twice daily necessity, but it doesn't have to be boring. Incorporate your child's favorite things into the mix.
If your child still requires your full assistance but doesn't like to cooperate, give them an incentive. Perhaps you don't like them to play games on your smart phone all the time, so save their daily allotment for when it's time to brush and floss. Let your child pick a favorite tune to listen to while you clean their teeth – they'll know that when the song ends, teeth time is over.
Give Them Options
Children like to be a part of their care routines, even if they still require mom and dad's help. To help them feel like they have a say in their dental hygiene, give them some options to choose from.
Bring your child to the store and let them pick a toothbrush or two. Buy multiple flavored toothpastes and switch it up every time it's time to brush. While some children can't handle options and will further meltdown, there are some who become more cooperative the more say they have in a matter. You know your child best, so give them the options you think they can handle.
Model the Behavior
As a parent, it can be easy to fall behind on self care. Remember that regular self care isn't just for you, but it also models good behavior to your child as well.
Not only should you model how to properly blush and floss, but also model how important it is to visit the dentist regularly. Bringing your child to your visit with a professional dentist, like HP Family Dental, gives them the opportunity to observe what happens without experiencing it. This allows them to comprehend it in a different light, and it may even make your child more interested in their own dental care.
The daily brushing and flossing routine doesn't have to be a time of anxiety and upset for you or your child. By implementing one or all of the tips above, even your child can begin to look forward to this time. Think outside the box and incorporate some of your child's favorite things into this routine to help them build positive associations and get them interested in their dental hygiene.
Share15 June 2015
The average dentist takes many client appointments each day and also deals with emergency situations on a regular basis. Dental emergencies are very common because people are likely to put off having tooth pain fixed until the pain becomes unbearable. Some people have anxiety about dental visits, and others are trying to avoid the expense of dental care. In either case, the end result is often a dental emergency. I have worked as a professional dental hygienist for many years and have seen all types of dental emergencies. I hope that this blog will help people identify potential emergencies before they become too serious and will allow people to know when to get help.
