Using The Tooth Fairy To Reinforce Good Oral Hygiene

Most of us know the Tooth Fairy as a friendly little sprite, clad in a tutu and a tiara, who brings children little tokens in exchange for their lost baby teeth. What you may not know is that the Tooth Fairy can use the anticipation and excitement surrounding the Tooth Fairy to teach your children how to practice good oral hygiene!

How To Use The Tooth Fairy As A Teaching Tool

Here at Great Outdoors Pediatric Dentistry, we’ve put together a few suggestions on how parents can use the tradition of the Tooth Fairy to teach their children about the importance of their dental health:

• 1.Leave gifts related to oral health. Surveys have found that the Tooth Fairy leaves money at between 95-99% of homes! Instead of leaving cash, it might be a good idea to reinforce good brushing and flossing habits by providing a fun new toothbrush or a children’s book about teeth or the Tooth Fairy.

• 2.Leave a note from the Tooth Fairy. A personalized note to your child from the Tooth Fairy can go a long way towards improving their dental hygiene habits. The note can include tips on ways your kids can improve brushing and flossing and can thank your child for only leaving behind healthy, sparkly teeth!

• 3.Introduce the Tooth Fairy to your kids early on. Even though kids don’t typically begin to lose teeth until five or six years of age, you should be teaching them about the Tooth Fairy even earlier. Use the discussion as an opportunity to teach your child healthy dental habits. Tell him or her that the Tooth Fairy will only leave behind tokens for the healthy teeth they lose!

No matter how you teach about the Tooth Fairy, the tradition has proven to be a great way to foster good feelings about oral healthcare and the dentist. Many parents have told their kids that our dentist is the Tooth Fairy’s assistant, which can make a trip to the office much less intimidating.

An important part of any dental health routine is a visit to our office every 6 months for a dental cleaning and exam! To make an appointment today, please contact Great Outdoors Pediatric Dentistry. Our office is located in Dover, New Hampshire!