If you thought getting your child to brush their teeth was hard, this is nothing compared to the challenge of getting your teen to care about their oral health.
With a combination of raging hormones, a desire to rebel, and a general lack of interest in personal hygiene, getting your teenager to invest in a consistent dental health routine can seem almost impossible.
Fortunately, if you’re struggling to get your adolescent to go to the dentist for checkups or even just to brush their teeth twice a day, there are steps that you can take to foster an interest in oral hygiene.
1. Stock up on oral health products
Most teens love to spend money, but this tends to be on clothes and socializing rather than everyday essentials.
Therefore, if you want your teenager to take their oral health seriously, then you need to make sure that your bathroom shelves are always topped up with dental health products.
Remember that you need to replace their toothbrushes at least once every three months and don’t forget mouthwash and dental floss which can help to keep their breath fresh and reduce plaque.
2. Find a good dentist
If your teenager doesn’t like going to the dentist because they have a genuine fear of the experience, then you need to find a dentist that will help to put their mind at ease.
It can be useful to ring around all the dentist surgeries in your local area to speak to them about your teen’s aversion to having their teeth examined to see what advice they can offer.
Remember, your teenager should be going for checkups once every six months or whenever they experience any problems or pain.
If your teenager has a specific dental procedure that they need such as braces or aligners, make sure that they see the right type of dentist, for example, a lingual braces specialist orthodontist. This will help them to feel more comfortable about having the work carried out.
3. Instill good habits
Do you look after your own teeth? If your teenager sees you taking care of your teeth and booking regular checkups with the dentist, then they’re much more likely to do the same.
Make sure you talk to your teen about the importance of good oral health and what could happen if they neglect to care for their teeth and gums.
Advise them to brush their teeth twice a day, floss once a day, preferably in the evening, and use a daily mouthwash to keep their breath fresh and their gums healthy.
4. Invest in a mouthguard
If your teenager plays contact sports, then it can be a good idea to invest in a mouthguard to protect their teeth from injuries.
All you need to do is make an appointment with their dentist and they will take a mold of your teen’s mouth and create a custom mouthguard.
Although this may seem like a lot of effort, it’s a lot better than having to pay for expensive dental treatment if your teen does have an accident that causes trauma to their mouth.