Kids are fickle. I know mine are. Some days my kids race to the sink, practically knocking each other down, so they can be first to brush their teeth. Some days they complain about everything from the water, to the taste of the toothpaste or even the color of their toothbrush. I am sure most parents have experienced this at one time or another.

Good dental care is important for children for many reasons. The obvious is healthy teeth means less traumatic experiences at the dentist. I can tell you from experience that this is a good benefit for your child as well as for the parent. There is nothing worse than watching your child cry and wrestle with the dentist in order to fill one of those pesky cavities. Establishing good brush habits while your child is young will follow your child through his teenage years and into adulthood. I guess you can think of your childs baby teeth as their practice teeth to get them ready to care for their permanent adult teeth.

I have tried many different methods to keep my children interested in brushing. I have tried the musical toothpaste lid, buying overpriced toothbrushes because they were imprinted with the newest superhero and I even bought the toothbrushes that twirl and spin hoping to keep my children interested. Well, they all worked for a while, at least until the novelty wore off.

After a traumatic visit to the dentist with my 5 year old I wanted to do something special for him. After he went to sleep I sat at my computer and wrote a special Letter from the Tooth Fairy telling him how brave he was and that although he is brushing his teeth every day he still needs to use the proper techniques like mommy showed him. I also added a brand new green toothbrush and toothpaste just for him. When he woke up in the morning and received the unexpected note from the tooth fairy he was so excited. After all, most children know the tooth fairy is coming when they lose a tooth, but when the tooth fairy sends a note out of the blue it can add a sense of excitement and encourages the child to brush. My son was so happy and told everyone he saw how the tooth fairy came to see him and he did not even lose his tooth yet. He believed that the tooth fairy is watching all of the time, just like Santa.

Enjoy the magical time when your children believe in the Tooth Fairy. Enjoy the twinkle in their eye and the smile across their face. Take advantage of this awesome opportunity to help your child understand the importance of good dental care.