Use Oversized Toothbrush to Explain Oral Health to Kids

If you’re still working your way through explaining the importance of oral health to your child, perhaps it’s high time you relied on some teaching aids to make it easier for all parties involved! One of them is an oversized toothbrush, a trusted educational tool even pediatric dentists have in their offices. But how does precisely the use of this item contribute to your everyday oral hygiene teaching efforts? Well, you’re in luck since we’re just getting ready to find it out below!

The importance of oral health

The American Dental Association recommends that children start brushing their teeth as soon as their first tooth erupts, to avoid cavities and other forms of tooth decay. Baby teeth play an essential role in making space for a permanent set of teeth, so even though they eventually fall out, keeping them healthy and cavity-free for as long as they are around is an important task for every parent, caregiver, and child out there. However, making sure your kid is consistent with their everyday dental care can be demanding, especially with all the challenges that may pop up along the way. 

At some point, you will realize a shortcut or two might come in handy, so you will decide to give various educational tools a shot. And who could honestly blame you for that? Be that as it may, let’s take a closer look at how oversized toothbrushes work in practice and how they can help you teach your kids about some basic oral health principles.

The Many Benefits of Oversized Toothbrushes

Opting for an oversized toothbrush can prove to be beneficial for many reasons. First, you will be able to explain to your child the best brushing techniques, including the angle at which they should brush, how to treat their gums, the amount of pressure they should apply, as well as the best brushing motions to be used on different areas in their mouth. You can also show them how to hold the grip of a toothbrush, and how to properly clean all the major chewing surfaces. Explain to them how plaque builds up between their teeth and along their gum line, and use a giant toothbrush to emphasize how brushing helps them get rid of it right before it becomes home to countless harmful bacteria destroying their enamel and paving the way for tooth decay. While you could also theoretically do everything we’ve just mentioned with your regular toothbrush, remember that a child might not be able to see what you do due to its size.

They are Fun!

For reasons that are yet to be clarified, children (and a fair number of adults, if we’re being completely honest here!) genuinely enjoy playing with oversized items (think giant teddy bears and other similar stuff). Just look up “oversized toys” on Google, and you’ll get whopping 100.000 results on Amazon, a fact that speaks for itself! 

A giant toothbrush still has the educational potential to explain everything about thorough brushing and keeping harmful mouth germs at bay yet it’s somehow silly and invites kids to interact with the item and actively participate in the process. And what more could you possibly ask from a dental teaching aid?

Pediatric Dentists Love Them, Too

Nowadays, countless pediatric dentist offices harbor oversized toothbrushes in their inventories, and for a good reason. A dentist will use one of them during their demonstrations to help patients hone their brushing skills. They sometimes utilize them in combination with approximately the same size dental demonstration models such as huge teeth, to be able to better describe all the necessary dental hygiene steps to their patients. 

They have also proved to be valuable when teaching kids how to pick the best toothbrush for themselves. Your pediatric dentist will probably use a giant toothbrush to talk more about age-appropriate toothbrush heads, grips, as well as the optimal softness of bristles. Consequently, the kids may become more interested in picking their own oral hygiene supplies, which could also lead to more consistent oral care routines. This happens thanks to the fact that kids love being actively involved in a learning process; it can trigger a sense of pride in them, especially if the demonstration was good, and they managed to memorize the most of it. 

Extra tip: Don’t hesitate to ask for a piece of advice from your dentist on how to use a big toothbrush to explain the best brushing technique to your child if you’re unsure what to do with it. Many of them would probably be more than eager to help you out!

Have you already tried using an oversized toothbrush to teach the importance of oral health to your child? Are you satisfied with what you’ve accomplished? Don’t hesitate, tell us all about your experience below!