First thing in the morning and just before going to bed at night are when most children and adults brush their teeth. These times of day are when teeth are most in need of cleaning, but they aren't always conducive to being thorough when brushing.
For many people, mornings are a big rush to get out the door for school, work, or sports. They may also still be a bit sleepy, and distracted by thoughts of the day ahead.
And at night, people are often tired, and just want to hit the pillows, or get back to a book, or TV show.
These kinds of distractions can mean that your family may not be taking as much time as necessary for oral hygiene. And you're not alone: most people don’t spend enough time brushing their teeth every day, and this can have a long term, negative effect on oral health.
As a general rule, you should be brushing at least 2 times a day, and each brushing session should last for a minimum of two minutes.
The following tips and ideas from SmileTown Dentistry Langley may help your family to put in enough time brushing every day.
Set a timer...
...and tell your kids that they have to continue brushing until it beeps!
Play a song
Turn on your favorite song, and brush for the duration. Most songs last a minimum 2 or 3 minutes, so you'll be spending more than enough time with your toothbrush!
If you have small kids, do a quick Google search for teeth brushing songs that are about two minutes long.
Brush during commercials
Send them off to the bathroom at the commercial break of a TV show they're watching, to brush their teeth. The trick here that they keep brushing until the show comes back on.
Brush as a family
This can get a bit crowded if you have a small bathroom and a big family, but try to make it work; it's fun! It means you can all spend a little extra time together (even if it’s only a couple of minutes), and you'll all be accountable to one another. This can be a good thing for mom and dad’s oral health, too.
Pay special attention to the backs of your teeth
The back side of your teeth (the side facing your tongue) is the most awkward place to brush. Be sure your kids are very thorough and methodical when brushing the backs of their teeth, and that they continue using proper brushing techniques.