How often does your child brush his/her teeth? - Page 3

[Cascadian]

Originally Posted by LionTigerBear

That is NOT due to not brushing, that is due to poor maternal nutrition and nutritional deficiencies.
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Totally - I know. Most of these kids had 'bottle mouth' and REALLY ferociously bad diets (like, pop in the baby bottle kind of diets). But it did scar me, so I'm paranoid now

[loraxc]

Um, uh, okay.

Seriously, the kids do not have bad breath. I have a nose like a bloodhound and I certainly detect it in my DH, but not my kids.

Also, I brushed in the mornings when I worked out of the home, as a professional courtesy, I guess!--but these days I generally don't, and I certainly never did ever as a child or a teen or even in college. I did not have my first cavity till I was over 30 (not a single one in my baby teeth), and now I have...two, I think? So my laxity in brushing has hardly led to major issues.

[choli]

At least twice a day, more often 3 times. My kids are teens now, neither they nor I have ever had a cavity. Their dad had several over his life, but he eats candy and ice cream, we don't (hereditary dislike of sweet things, it seems).

The idea of not brushing twice a day really grosses me out. This might be partly due to my completely healthy teeth looking unhealthy due to tetracycline staining, so I've always ramped up the dental care in compenstation.

[MusicianDad]

Twice a day, unless she is home for the day and we go out sometime in the afternoon. Then she brushes before we leave as well.

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by loraxc

(ETA: Given the cavity, we are going to brush twice now. But the dentist really made DH feel like a rotten, neglectful parent, and I told him I was sure we weren't the only ones only brushing once a day....looks like I'm right!

The dentist seemed to kind of be a jerk anyway--he also gave DH grief about the little wart on DD's chin, which does not bother her and which she does not want removed. WTH, dude? Are you a dermatologist?)

I would TOTALLY find a new dentist. I have REALLY bad teeth. It seems to run in the family. I'm not all that crazy about the dentist and if I make it once every 2 years, when my gums are bleeding badly, I consider it a huge success. I'm trying to be better, but ... well, it's my business.

Anyway, I am DONE with dentists who lay guilt or make you feel bad. Just done. Not seeing another one like that. My current dentist is GREAT and deals with the situation at hand. I have a strong gag reflex too and hate a lot of toothpastes. I had a really good hygienist who retired. She told me I could just brush without paste if I needed to. Did this for the first trimester in pregnancy. Anyway, life is too short for guilt from your healthcare professional. You don't need this.

PS - We are in the not even once a day camp and my 6 yo went to the dentist for the first time on her b-day. No cavities at all. Thank god she doesn't have my teeth!

[weliveintheforest]

the kids brush once a day, at bedtime. We don't skip it unless we are travelling or something and they fall asleep in the car.

[Drummer's Wife]

My kids brush their teeth once a day, generally in the mornings. I should really encourage them to do so before bed, too... sometimes it happens, but more often than not we all forget.

That said, I brush my teeth multiple times per day (probably 5?) b/c I am a bit obsessive about it. Not b/c I'm worried about cavities (I think I've had one in my life), but b/c I hate the taste left behind after eating most foods. The only things that don't bother me are things like apples or carrots - which are pretty self cleaning and mild, if that makes sense.

[hipumpkins]

We aim for after breakfast and after dinner. Every now and then one or other gets forgotten or is too much of a hassle to get to.
I can't say for sure about the brushing /cavity connection but I know as a kid my parents did not make sure we brushed and my sister and I rarely did until we were older.
It could have been months that went by with nary a scrub but I never had one cavity until I was 21 and doing unhealthy things to my body. so that's my anecdotal evidence

[Hoopin' Mama]

Twice a day, but I'm sure we've missed some.

[LauraLoo]

We brush twice a day......

But about 4 years ago a dentist found a small cavity in ds' back tooth. It wasn't a big surprise to me since he had had a habit of pocketing food in his cheeks for hours at a time (sensory issue.) The dentist proceeded to give ds a lecture, in front of me, about how he really needed to be brushing his teeth and flossing or all of his teeth were going to be filled with cavities. She didn't demonstrate the slightest bit of compassion - she was supposed to be a pediatric dentist.

And since her demeanor really put me off, I decided that she definitely wasn't going to be the dentist to put a filling in and we switched dentists.

[sunnygir1]

Usually twice. She gets help at bedtime, but I just let her do it on her own in the morning. Sometimes mornings get skipped.

[phathui5]

Morning and night. But then my kids have had cavities before, so it's not a sure thing.

[Holiztic]

DS (3) brushes his own most mornings (might miss 1 out of 5), then DH brushes AND flosses him very thoroughly every single night--absolutely no fail. DS also eats no white sugar and drinks no juice, and he eats a nutrient-dense homemade diet.

I'm sitting here with two big holes in my mouth (pulled rotten molars), I'm not messing around with my kids!

[mamakaikai]

I voted twice, but we do 3x a day here. After breakfast, after lunch and at bedtime.

[mamababamba]

I voted not even everyday. We are trying to make it more of a priority but frankly I think it is all diet, genetics and saliva type. Ds is 8 with no cavities. I am 40 with no cavities. I did not honestly brush my teeth more than once a week until I was 16. That was the first time I went to the dentist. Ds and I go to the dentist 2X a year now and our gums and teeth are great. Neither of us are sweet tooths and the only procedure besides cleanings and x-rays I have ever had done is the removal of my wisdom teeth. DH brushes religiously because he has to. He always has and he has at least one cavity in every tooth in his mouth. He also had a lot of antibiotics as a child.

[shishkeberry]

Once a day. He usually wakes up before me and I forget to make him do it in the morning, but he does it before bed every night.

[amma_mama]

We do once per day, in the mornings and, a few times per week, we manage to do it before bed. I would like to get her in the habit of 2x per day, especially since we have not been to the dentist yet, though it is "on the list"...Hopefully, she will be blessed with my teeth (only two cavities in middle school from a 6 month period of non-stop gum chewing) and DH's, as he has horrible teeth that were totally neglected as a child (many root canals, bridges and a denture).

[dawncayden]

We were pretty relaxed in the beginning and let ds brush his own teeth as a baby, then he had major caries where his front teeth were chipping away. He had to have dental surgery at 2 years old. So ever since 18 months we brush his teeth twice a day properly.
Now we have a one year old son and have been brushing properly from the beginning and he has beautiful strong teeth with no caries.

[journeymom]

My kids brush twice a day. They weren't always very thorough, but at aged 10 and 15 they're good enough at it, now. I encourage them to floss more.

I'm 42 y.o. and I only brushed once a day when I was growing up. There wasn't the emphasis to brush twice when I was a kid.

My husband has blotchy teeth and lots of fillings. My teeth are nice and white and have only two fillings. Our daughter has my healthy teeth, our son has ds's blotchy, cavity-riddled teeth. They brush equally.

Lesson I get from this: genes have a lot to do with it.

[HappilyEvrAfter]

Just before bedtime if all goes well. Getting teeth brushed is a serious battle ground for us.

We've gotten better with the battery toothbrush, but it's still not once ounce of fun.

However, the dentist says he has beautiful teeth. So, go figure.

My dad hardley ever brushed his teeth either. No bad breath, no cavities until he turned 52-ish and had a tooth replaced, but even that wasn't because of not brushing.

I, however, brush twice daily religiously because it was brow beaten into my head.