When do your DS/DD start brushing their teeth on their own?

[busymama77]

DS is a couple of months shy of being 5. He knows how to brush his teeth and we're going to start learning to floss, but I still brush them every morning and every night. I feel that 5 is a good age to start doing this on his own.

When did your LO start brushing his/her teeth on their own??

[Alyantavid]

5ish? I really can't remember.

My 4.5 year old brushes his on his own, but I go over it after and floss for him to make sure we got everything. The dentist seems happy so we're sticking with it. My 8.5 year old brushes and flosses all on his own but I don't remember when I could trust him to do it well without me going back over.

[AllisonR]

Totally personality related in our house. DD is 3 and brushes on her own, and does a really good job. Though DH usually goes over them again, just to be sure. DS is 6 and never brushes his own teeth. He prefers we do it. Difference is that DS love language is care, he loves us caring for him, while DD want to "DO IT MYSELF"

ETA: the dentists here send home brochures saying that a parent should brush their child's teeth until they are 12 or 13. I just can't see that. Not only would I probably not want to brush my 13 yo teeth, I am pretty sure they wouldn't want me brushing them either. I can just imagine "brush my teeth well mom, I am going on a date and if John and I french kiss I want my teeth to be clean." Um, no.

[rhianna813]

Our dentist recommended helping your child until age 7. We've been letting DS (age 6) brush his teeth on his own once a day and the other time one of us watches him and does some brushing too.

He has lost one bottom tooth and the new tooth was growing up behind it already. The next baby tooth over is very loose, with the adult totally growing up behind it as well. He won't let us touch it or pull it out. But this also means he's avoiding brushing that whole area, including the adult teeth. So it's good we're monitoring his brushing :-)

Rhianna

[kcparker]

DS1 is 3 and some change. He sometimes brushes his own teeth, with supervision and extra help if he asks for it, but often I still do it for him. I tried giving him one of those little dental flossers, but I don't think he really understands how to use it, and he won't permit me to use it on his molars. I have sort of given up on flossing for a little while yet.

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by AllisonR

Totally personality related in our house. DD is 3 and brushes on her own, and does a really good job. Though DH usually goes over them again, just to be sure. DS is 6 and never brushes his own teeth. He prefers we do it. Difference is that DS love language is care, he loves us caring for him, while DD want to "DO IT MYSELF"

ETA: the dentists here send home brochures saying that a parent should brush their child's teeth until they are 12 or 13. I just can't see that. Not only would I probably not want to brush my 13 yo teeth, I am pretty sure they wouldn't want me brushing them either. I can just imagine "brush my teeth well mom, I am going on a date and if John and I french kiss I want my teeth to be clean." Um, no.

[tea_time]

Interesting, my DD is almost 3 and she brushes her teeth herself most nights (I put the toothpaste on but she brushes). Unless DH is putting her to bed, then he helps her. Maybe I should be helping her too? It seems like she's doing a good job but if they recommend age 7+ I'm guessing it's not enough.

[nola79]

6, I think.

[staceychev]

We do half and half, but her dentist said not 'til she can write her name in cursive!

[Holiztic]

DS is 3.5 and he does his own in the morning, we brush and floss him at night.

He eats a really tooth-healthy diet, so we feel that gives us some latitude.

[3xMama]

DD was about 3.5 when she started brushing on her own. She's 4.5 now and we just monitor. She seems to do a good job and when it seems she's slacking, I'll hop in there and brush them for her just to remind her how to get them good and clean. I only have to do that about once a month. Maybe I should be doing more to make sure she's getting 'em clean...

[crowcaw]

It was somewhere between 4.5 and 5 that my twins doing it consistently on their own. I watch them brush and check when done but they're doing a good job and I rarely have to redo. They also try to floss, but aren't as successful withtheat.

[becoming]

DS is 3 & brushes his own about half the time. DD will be 5 in two weeks & has been doing hers all by herself for at least 2 years now, and she is an AWESOME tooth brusher -- she gets the highest compliments at every six-month dental check-up!

[pianojazzgirl]

DD is 6. In the morning she does it all herself and in the evening I go over it after she's done. I also do the flossing.

DS is 3 and I do all the brushing (though he takes a turn first).

[Hokulele]

Originally Posted by AllisonR

the dentists here send home brochures saying that a parent should brush their child's teeth until they are 12 or 13. I just can't see that. Not only would I probably not want to brush my 13 yo teeth, I am pretty sure they wouldn't want me brushing them either. I can just imagine "brush my teeth well mom, I am going on a date and if John and I french kiss I want my teeth to be clean." Um, no.

Ha ha haaaaa!!

DD is 5yo and brushes her teeth herself. She loves to floss herself too. I sometimes will go over her teeth again, but only every once in a while. She loves to brush her teeth and she doesn't like parent involvement so as long as I know she's doing a good job, I let her be in control.

[34me]

Originally Posted by staceychev

We do half and half, but her dentist said not 'til she can write her name in cursive!

This is exactly what we were told! We actually stuck to it pretty faithfully except as I posted in the writing cursive thread, my 12 year old isn't being taught it so we have let that one go.....

[mizliz72]

SD is almost 7 and has been brushing her own for a few years now, but like with a lot of things the past year or so, she will do a weak job of it, or play around, spit water all over the place, and generally make me want to scream, so we have to monitor her and I've occasionally had to step in and help her brush so that it's done right. She used to be so gung-ho about doing things herself, but the past couple years has regressed to not wanting to/pretending she can't do things. This goes for a lot of things, not just teeth brushing. One night she made a big act of not knowing how much toothpaste to put on the toothbrush, and acted as if she had no hand-eye coordination trying to put it on, then the next night forgot her act and did a picture-perfect job of it. I don't know if this is "normal" for the age.

[moonjunio]

Originally Posted by 34me

This is exactly what we were told! We actually stuck to it pretty faithfully except as I posted in the writing cursive thread, my 12 year old isn't being taught it so we have let that one go.....

Yeah I hear cursive is going the way of the dodo unfortunately... might want to inform your dentists haha ;-)

[ellemenope]

DD brushes her teeth a couple of times a day, but she only gets the fronts. We brush her teeth at night, and she hates it. She is 2.

I would like to brush her teeth for a long time. This is something that I feel my parents dropped the ball on with me. I think they started letting me brush my teeth by myself at about 5. I had a lot of cavities and have always thought my teeth could have been whiter.

[mizliz72]

Hmmm....wondering now if even 7 is too young to have her doing it unsupervised.