Sugar Bugs and Mouth Monsters

In our practice, you may have heard us refer to those nasty “sugar bugs”, the bacterial villains that cause tooth decay, feeding off of sugar in your child’s mouth! This is a great, fun way to get the message across to kids that oral hygiene habits are important! Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (mychildrensteeth.org) uses the term “Mouth Monsters” to refer to these same bacteria that cause decay of the teeth!So whether you call them “Sugar Bugs” or “Mouth Monsters”, here are some additional handy tips for teaching your kids about their oral health:

• Keep it Fun: Keeping if fun makes it more, well, fun! And it also keeps the battle out of the brushing routine. If your child associates tooth-brushing time with battle-with-mom-and-dad time, they are less likely to follow through with the activity, and so are you. Keep things light and fun if you are doing the brushing yourself. And if your child is old enough to brush on his own, give him the space to do so (standing there watching over only gives the battle more attention).
• Visual Appeal: Keep the bathroom area kid-friendly. Brightly colored tooth brushes, paint and maybe even a fun tooth-fact or window decal on the mirror will entice them to spend their 2 minutes in there, giving them something to look at while they brush.
• Charts: A chart right there in the bathroom helps to set good oral hygiene habits early on. A reward could be something as simple as a new toothbrush!

Need more ideas? Give us a call to find out how we can help you keep your child on the path toward great oral health!