One of the most fundamental things that parents teach their children is proper tooth care and how to prevent a cavity. Those parents who are unfortunate enough to have experienced cavities in the past, can even show their kids what they can avoid if they take a few minutes a day to prevent cavities. However, this is often not necessary if parents successfully integrate proper tooth care into the routine activities of their children. If done correctly, proper tooth care that involves both brushing and flossing will become routine for children; and thus, preventing cavities will be second nature. Parents must also remember that they are dealing with children, and rather than growing frustrated if their children resist, they should be consistent and persistent.
Today, there are all kinds of ways to help parents to teach their children how to prevent cavities. There are flavored toothpastes that are safe even for infants, there are fun toothbrushes that are based on their favorite characters, and there are even books for children about proper brushing technique. Of course, teaching children how to prevent a cavity can be more challenging for some parents than others. If this happens to be the case for some parents, they should not blame themselves. They can do everything in their power to educate their children about ways to prevent a cavity, but regardless of any methods or mind games they may attempt to employ, parents should always maintain patience. While parents may become frustrated if children do not exhibit much regard to prevent cavity, they must never become angry. Exhibiting anger toward such resistance will have no positive impact upon teaching children how to prevent a cavity. In fact, it will only serve to inhibit the entire process.
All children are born with different temperaments, and thus, each child will learn how to prevent a cavity at their own pace. When dealing with young children, parents need to realize that most will not have developed the ability to see or value the consequences of their actions. Therefore, parents must be consistent and even oversee the brushing and flossing process until it becomes a habit for their children. The key to teaching children how to prevent a cavity all comes down to patience, persistence, and consistency. However long it takes to teach a child how to prevent a cavity, if a parent refuses to become discouraged, they will succeed.