Sometimes, it seems like brushing our teeth ?should? be as easy as ABC, 123. However, a lot of our Krengel Dental patients ask about ways to get better maintaining a brushing routine, especially when it comes to keeping the kids motivated to keep up their dental care. While we are creatures of habit, the B word (boredom) can get in the way of continued success. That?s why making brushing more fun is a smart step towards success for children and adults. 
Believe it or not, there are ways to make brushing more fun, so here are three ways to give your brushing a boost:
1. Brush together:
There is truth to the saying ?monkey see, monkey do? and actually using a game during brushing makes it a fun and shared activity. We suggest playing ?Simon Says? to direct your children or partner-in-brushing in an engaging way, or any form of ?Follow The Leader? where supervising children?s brushing routine transforms into a fun game (where they actually want to do as they are told)! Brushing together is an excellent way to model healthy behaviors by setting an example, reinforcing brushing, and, the big bonus, attending to your own dental hygiene at the same time.
2. Root for Rewards
We can absolutely use rewards to motivate better brushing. Believe it or not, the rewards can even be brushing related! For children, we recommend setting a reward for a fun, new toothbrush or toothpaste flavor once they have maintained a routine for a certain number of days. And yes, rewards can work for adults too. Set a healthy reward with a SMART goal (specific, measurable, achievable/attainable, realistic and timely) that will give you incentive in the short-term that you can smile about.
3. Bring in a beat
It is recommended that we brush our teeth for two full minutes to get the full benefit. What better way to make sure we are meeting that goal and enjoying it by brushing to an upbeat song? Choose a song that is two minutes or longer and brush to the beat, bringing in excitement by using the song as a timer and to set the rhythm. With children, making the songs upbeat ones that can choose, assigning these songs to brushing time, can be a great way to get kids in the groove with setting good dental habits.
Bringing in creativity to boost the mood is a great way to keep us going, get children grooving and give your Krengel Dental team a reason to congratulate and reward you at the next visit. Have any other creative or fun ways to make dental hygiene more fun? We love sharing what works for you with others. Whether you have an idea or are looking for more ways to better your brushing, give us a call today (952-888-1311) and we will brainstorm the best ways to boost your brushing.!
