Do you "make" your kids brush their teeth?

[lachingona1]

It would be such a fight every day if I made my 3 1/2 y/o brush her teeth. She does it when she wants to. Her teeth are perfectly fine but I worry sometimes.

[CherryBomb]

Yes.

[kewb]

Yes.

[mommy68]

I do but I forget sometimes. I'm only human.

[FancyD]

Yes, I do. I don't care how much he protests, his teeth are being brushed. I'm mean that way.

[littlemizflava]

i had this battle with my dd 6 (she is older now but it started around 3) till i got one of those kid eletric toothbrushes now she dont have a problem with it. for the record she is always in there brushing

[odenata]

Yes. Twice a day. We've had periods when it was a struggle, but mostly it goes fine.

[pixiepunk]

yes, 2x a day and definitely not negotiable. i know folks here aren't big on rewards and/or charts, but we keep one for brushing teeth, they get a sticker on the chart each time they do it. once the chart fills up (we make them big so it takes a loooong time) we have a family fun day like going to see a movie or going out to eat or on a picnic. makes it a fun time instead of a struggle, and reward time is a good excuse to do something fun as a family

[eli's mama]

I won't say I "make" them, but I do want them to. Twice a day I say "time to brush teeth!" and we tromp to the bathroom and make a good effort. My oldest always liked to do it, my little guy, not so much. My husband is no help he keeps saying how their teeth all fall out anyway!!!

[karne]

Yes, and we go for the "fun" toothbrushes as well. Right now, that means battery-powered anything. My kids don't use flouride and have very good teeth. I think brushing is a big part of that.

[graceomalley]

Yes, of course.

There are some non-negotiable things (which we deal with gently, of course, but in the end the kids don't have much of a choice). They don't get to run on the road just because they want to. They don't get to poke the cat with chopsticks, just because they want to. They don't get to have rotten teeth and pain from cavities, just because they don't want to brush their teeth.

[2Late2BCreative]

Totally agree with other posters.....
it's not negotiable in our house. Some things I just 'make' them do it. There were weeks where it was not a walk in the park with brushing...and then it slowly came around to where it was just part of our routine and they don't protest any more. I'm paranoid of cavities....we don't have dental insurance, my dh's teeth are awful and I just don't want them to have to deal with cavities. Maybe it is true that it's only their baby teeth...but it would be so much better (imo) if you got them started early on good dental hygiene. Good luck with it...it's not always easy. I'd aim for at least four to five good days of brushing at least once a day. Maybe you could even let your child 'play' with the toothbrush while in the car. I think it's better to have that toothbrush in their mouth even if they are not brushing in the most traditional way. It's a start.

[chaimom]

Yes. And it's a fight every time with my 2 year old. My 6 year olds don't like it either, but they'll do it.

[Cutie Patootie]

Absolutely. Not negotiable. It's a life skill that pertains to their health and no exceptions in our house. My ds has horrible teeth. We don't and won't use flouride ever. Most people don't know that tooth caries(cavities) have to do more with your gut and make up, than with your dental hygiene, but dental hygiene is very important.

[A&A]

When ds didn't want to brush his teeth, I finally figured out he didn't like the toothpaste. I finally found a toothpaste he likes (Tom's of Maine, strawberry) and he doesn't fight about toothbrushing anymore. I also talk to him about how we want the dentist to say that he has clean teeth when I take him in for a checkup! He also gets to decide whether mom or dad brushes his teeth (when we're both home.)

I also buy him toothbrushes he likes. He gets to pick them out at the store.

[queenjane]

Of course i would not make my child brush their teeth...i'm pretty shocked that everyone thinks that the right thing to do.

I think there are all sorts of ways to encourage a young child to brush their teeth without making it a "nonnegotiable"....my son went years with only occasional brushing...yes he had a couple of cavities, they've been taken care of, he's fine, his teeth are fine, and after his last dental visit he's made a vow to himself to be kinder to his teeth (he's 11.)

I think much of how one's teeth turn out is genetic....i brushed my teeth consistently as a child, went to the dentist twice a year like i was supposed to, had all the treatments recommended (flouride and all that)....and still have a mouth full of mercury. My son's father almost never brushed his teeth, and i think he's had maybe one cavity ever. Go figure.


Katherine

[lachingona1]

Originally Posted by queenjane

Of course i would not make my child brush their teeth...i'm pretty shocked that everyone thinks that the right thing to do.

Katherine

: I'm kind of shocked as well. DH doesn't brush his teeth every day and has only had one small cavity and he is 30. I really think diet has a lot to do with it. If my 3 y/o ate candy, soda, sugary foods, and processed foods, then yeah I think I would have her brushing every day, but we mostly eat organic raw foods, rice and beans, etc.

[heket]

Originally Posted by queenjane

Of course i would not make my child brush their teeth...i'm pretty shocked that everyone thinks that the right thing to do.

:

We do brush every night, but we have songs and such. It's not a chore nor a thing to fight over. If it were, I would try to find out why it's something the kids don't want to do -- as someone said maybe it's the toothpaste... or perhaps a cavity that bothers or some other item I may not be aware of.

[bwylde]

This is the only thing that we enforce. DS has horrible, horrible teeth (we're praying his adult teeth are better). We've tried every trick in the book with him since he hates doing it but ultimately, it needs to be done. DD always does it willingly so that's no problem but DS likes to buck heads over e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

[CrunchyMomto3]

I don't *make* my trio do anything. But I can gently encourage them to make the right choice.