Teaching your children how to brush their teeth can feel like a nightly battle. However, you can make the process easier for both you and you kids when you make brushing teeth fun.  Here are seven tips to help you get kids excited about brushing their teeth.

From toothbrushes to floss and everything in between, let your kids have a say in the supplies they use. For example, you have a plethora of kid friendly toothbrushes to choose from. Find one with your child’s favourite superhero, or consider buying one that’s battery powered. There are fun flavours and colours for toothpaste and floss as well.

If you can find teeth-cleaning tools that excite your kids, they’ll want to use those products and brush their teeth. They may even do it without any prompting.

A great way to get the job done is to make the chore a game instead. You can make brushing a contest to see who can do a more thorough job.

Or you can play make-believe while you brush. Tell your child that plaque particles are the bad guys and your child is the only one who can stop them.

If you’re still brushing your child’s teeth, consider letting him brush yours afterward. You can also have him practice on a favourite doll or stuffed animal. Get your children involved in this routine, even if they’re not doing their own brushing yet.

Remember when you potty-trained your children? You may even be teaching your child that habit right now. Either way, you may have noticed that your enthusiasm for this task can help your child like it.

To you, brushing your teeth and using the toilet are ordinary, everyday occurrences, but these events feel special to your kids. When you jump around and cheer after your kids brush their teeth, your excitement makes them excited.

Spend a little time going through your kid’s favourite songs, and look for a song that’s about two minutes long. Next time she needs to brush her teeth, play that song to help her know exactly when she’s been brushing long enough. Let your child dance and hum along if that helps – just make sure that the job still gets done properly.

There are also a few free apps out there that play fun music for exactly two minutes to help kids brush long enough. If you can’t find a song in your own collection, check out Brush DJ or similar apps.

There is no shame in offering your children incentives for brushing their teeth. Think of this act as a reward, not a bribe. Steer away from candies and sweets for this particular reward, but stickers and other small goodies are perfect.

You can also offer long-term rewards. For example, if your children brush their teeth without prompting for a week, you’ll go to a movie.

Especially when you begin teaching your children how to brush their teeth, show them how by brushing your own teeth first. Make sure to discuss the best way to hold the toothbrush, to point out tricky spots kids should always brush and to offer other helpful hints. When your children see you brushing your teeth, they’ll follow in your steps.

Let your children’s dentist know that you’re teaching them how to brush their teeth. Your dentist may have tips that weren’t mentioned here, and he or she can sit down with your children to explain the importance of good oral hygiene. No one is better qualified to help your children with their teeth than their dentist.