Encouraging Your Child to Drink Water

Giving your child water with fluoride is one of the best ways to keep their teeth healthy. Many communities have tap (faucet) water with fluoride. You should give your child water with fluoride throughout the day to help to keep their teeth strong.

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A child’s body needs water to be healthy and active. Many communities have tap (faucet) water with fluoride. Giving children water with fluoride is one of the best ways to keep their teeth healthy. When children drink water with fluoride throughout the day, their teeth are bathed in low levels of fluoride, which helps to keep teeth strong.

Tips for encouraging your child to drink water:

• Make drinking water fun for your child. Use bendy, silly, or colored straws. Or let your child choose their favorite cups or water bottles.
• Use water bottles that can be carried anywhere. Refill them with tap water. Most bottled water does not have fluoride.
• Add a lemon, lime, or orange slice or fresh mint leaves to the water. Or add fruit like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
• Give your child water with ice cubes or crushed ice. Look for ice cube trays in fun shapes like dinosaurs, letters, or animals.
• Be a good role model for your child. Drink water instead of drinks that have sugar, like juice, fruit drinks, soda (pop), or sports drinks.
• Set up a station where your child can get a drink of water when they are thirsty. Keep a nonbreakable water pitcher or thermos on a low stool or a chair where your child can reach it.
• Read books or show your child videos about drinking water, for example Potter the Otter: A Tale About Water and Potter the Otter Loves to Drink Water.

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Last Updated: November 9, 2022