Teaching children about the necessities of proper oral hygiene can be tricky. Kids don’t respond well to nagging or boring sit-down conversations about things they don’t concern themselves with.

However, steps should be taken to make sure kids know the things that could damage their teeth. Fortunately, there are several fun ways to make this information stick in their heads.

Dentistry-Focused Books

At a very young age, when children are beginning to learn to read, they are so eager to show their skills that they get excited about every book they pick up. This is a great opportunity to sneak some educational books in there.

Once they get through a book, they are likely to reread the same book again to show how smart they’ve gotten. Giving them books like The Invasion of the Cavity Creatures helps to instill in their minds the types of foods and habits that are bad for their teeth.

Fun Worksheets

Most young children love things like word searches, crosswords puzzles, and word scrambles.

By providing them with these types of worksheets that contain educational words regarding dental hygiene, they are learning without even realizing it. Learning the proper vocabulary is a big step towards being able to understand good oral health.

These worksheets can be found in educational magazines like Highlights. Your local dentist may even have some laying around the office for this very purpose.

Interactive Games

There are plenty of educational games on the Internet aimed at imparting wisdom regarding specific subjects.

Oral hygiene is a big issue among parents; subsequently, there are hundreds of oral health-related games. Many local dentists’ websites will have links to games that they find especially helpful.

For example, a game that requires you to zap away all the sugar-filled or sticky food from the gums teaches kids what foods to avoid. You can also search for similar games for the Nintendo DS or other gaming system.

Science Experiments

Performing a science experiment with your children is a great way to hold their attention while doing something fun together.

One great experiment to try is to put on a plastic glove and spread peanut butter between the fingers. Close the fingers tightly together and have someone try to brush all the peanut butter away with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

According to Westmount Dental Centre, a family dentist in Edmonton, it is important to show children the proper way to floss; this experiment illustrates the importance of flossing and why certain foods are not good for your teeth.

Teaching kids about oral hygiene may seem impossible, but with the right tricks, your kids will be forming all the right habits in no time.