How to Get Kids to Floss Their Teeth

Flossing your teeth is one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay when used with teeth brushing. As children get older their teeth grow closer together and become harder to clean. It is important for parents to help their children floss in-between those teeth. The back molars are prone to decay more than any of the other teeth because of their location. Flossing can be extremely difficult to get children to do but it must be done. If you are experiencing difficulties flossing your children's teeth take a look at some of the ideas below.

Have your child floss her dolls' and stuffed animals' "teeth." Give your child a piece of floss and have her line up about five of her favorite dolls or his favorite stuffed animals and let him/her pretend to play dentist and floss each of their toys' teeth. Afterwards, let your child know that it will soon be their turn to floss their teeth.

Have your child watch a short video while flossing their teeth. This is one of the best and most effective ways to floss your child's teeth without hassle. Youtube is a great place to let your kids watch a short video while flossing their teeth although; you may want to screen the videos ahead of time before letting your kids watch them. Sesamestreet.org, nickjr.com and pbskids.org all feature videos that you can let your child watch, but the videos are 30 minute shows and your kids might protest against you turning the show off before it is complete.

Sing the flossing song with your child to distract him from flossing. There is no actual flossing song but you can change the lyrics in the "This is the Way We Wash our Hands" song to the, this is the way we floss out teeth song. The song is catchy and your kid just might listen to you sing it as opposed to whining.

Tell your child a story while you floss her teeth. Make up a story on the spot each night while you floss each tooth. Your child will start looking forward to flossing if they know they are going to hear one of Mommy's or Daddy's made up stories. The story does not have to be long it could end when the flossing has stopped.

Floss your teeth together as a family .If your child sees that her parent(s) floss their teeth too she might be more enthusiastic in flossing.

Let your child floss your teeth. Let her see what it takes to floss teeth. Watch her play dentist and try her best to clean each tooth. If you don't give her a hard time and wince she might follow your lead the next time that you have to floss her teeth.

Show your children pictures of decaying teeth and rotten gums. Show your child what would happen if he were to stop flossing. You can exaggerate a bit when picking out pictures to use.

Bribe your child with a special treat. This should be a last resort but it may just be your only option. Each time your child flosses her teeth give him a sticker and have him place it on a chart. At the end of the week count up all of the stickers and take him out for a special treat or a small toy.