Hi everyone, I wonder how do you manage teeth brushing with your kids. Could you please share your experiences: how old is your child and how do you clean his/her teeth, how did you get them to clean their teeth themselves, and where did you get the information’s what you have to do at a specific age and when you should go to the dentist, etc., Thank you and happy thanksgiving
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Take them with you when you go to clean your own teeth. Show them as your doing it yourself.
Cleaning for them is just the same. Give them their own cup of water to use to rinse. Once my daughter started brushing her teeth herself , she brushed
her own teeth 3-5 times a day. Take them to the dentist around 5 years old.
I supervise and assist a little, make sure they get the back corners. I set a 2 min timer on my phone. I’ve got 4 kiddos, 3 with completely healthy teeth. 1 has had caps in every corner. They all eat the same, brush the same, but he struggles. The dentist said breathing and sleeping habits could be the difference between.
We didn’t start going to the dentist until age 4. Our dentist doesn’t take children earlier than that unless they have an emergency or referral from the pediatrician, but each practice is different. Our pediatrician checked their teeth at well-visits and applied varnish once a year. When we were brush training I would have them brush their teeth with a timer and I would check and brush them again for them. I let them brush mine too to understand the concept of it. Thankfully we have zero cavities.
We took our kiddo to dentist at age 3. (This year)
She has trouble wanting to brush her teeth. For the longest time, I brushed them for her. She hated it and even cried sometimes. After the dentist she started brushing herself, but not well enough. Its been easiest for me to brush mine while she is brushing. She mimics me, and then I do a quick brush on her myself.
My oldest has been going to the dentist since a year old, because she had a mouth full of teeth at a year old. We brush teeth morning and night. The first 3 years I had to wrap her in a towel and brush just to keep her still because she fought me so badly.
She is now 5 and she brushes herself, then me or her dad will go behind and make sure we got all the “sugar bugs” out of her mouth.
It really helped us when we told her princesses have to brush their teeth to keep pretty princess teeth 
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They should start seeing a dentist at 1 years old even if they only have a couple teeth… My 3rd child is 3 i use little kids toothpaste with no fluoride. ( no fluoride until they can continously spit out the toothpaste) brush them fist and sing him the brushing teeth song I learned from work. Then when I’m done brushing them for a couple of minutes I let him brush them. I stay with him and remind him to get the back and brush his tounge. When he’s done I floss. Sometime he fights me and I tell him I’ll do it first then you can do it. Sometimes I have to say it a few times before he caves in and let’s me do it.My older children are 7 and 10 they started brushing their teeth without assistance around 6. But a couple times a week I still floss them to make sure its done right.
My kids both started brushing before they had teeth-I used a soft cloth. Then brushed fluoride free until they learned not to swallow the toothpaste. My oldest is 6 and I still supervise brushing and flossing and he has never had a cavity. Youngest is 3 and cavity free. They both had their first dentist appointment at 1.
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My little girl is 14 months and I started brushing her teeth when she first got teeth, id use warm water and a soft brush at first but now she uses tooth paste and she just started doing it on her own because she has grew up watching me get ready in the bathroom so i started asking her if she wanted to brush her teeth. However I have to help her sometimes. But we have not been to the dentist yet with her. Im gonna wait till she gets some molars in 
hope this helps!
first toorh start brushing help until older
My kids started going to the dentist at 1. No major issues with either and they both loved having their teeth cleaned
We brushed guns as a baby and when they got their first tooth we brushed those. Now they are two 4 and 6 and they wake up brush teeth and go to the livingroom. You have to start younge and work it into their routine
I started brushing her teeth as soon as they got them. She is almost 2 now I brush her teeth first then I let her brush them while I brush mine. Then we floss with the crayola floss sticks.
My daughter is 3. I tell her there’s sugar bugs in her mouth and she needs to let me help if she wants them all gone. She has a Frozen toothbrush and Little Mermaid toothpaste that she’s always excited about. Our ped said kids typically shouldn’t be brushing their teeth by themselves/unsupervised until they’re about 7. Oh, and we took her for her first dental cleaning last year when she was about 2.5.
My daughter is two and likes to brush her teeth. I scrub them first and when I’m done cleaning them I let her “brush them” herself for a bit while I brush mine. She loves it.
My son is 4 and usually I’ll let him brush first then I will tell him let mommy make sure you got them real good and I’ll brush them just for good measure
My daughter is only 15 months (tomorrow) I put her on the kitchen counter then tip her back with her head in my arm, then grab her free arm from behind with my hand, then I say open and she fights it, but eventually it gets done lol
My 2yo has been using his tooth brush for months, since he’s been able to walk and follow me around. I brush my teeth while he brushes his and then I take his electric one he knows he can’t have and he lets me brush his myself
I had to physically hold my son down as a toddler and force him to have his teeth brushed… now at 11 in have to remind him every day or he won’t do it also.m
I do the ‘brush brush’ and make it a game, it’s still hit and miss. Sometimes my son will, most of the time he won’t, HV told me the more you force it, the harder it is… Every child is different. Make it a game and work from there…
We have been brushing gums then teeth… my daughter doesn’t have great teeth and already has 12 cavities, juice, sugar (from her dads since in our house we limit sugar his not so much) but crackers are bad! Her old dentist said for US to brush her teeth till 10 
but my aunt said she needs to learn herself (she’s been a dentist for over 25-30 years)
I started brushing my sons teeth as soon as his first tooth came in and now he loves it (he’s almost 10 months old and it’s routine for him). Hoping that continues to be the case as he gets older and we keep brushing his teeth.
I started brushing my sons teeth as soon as they cut through. He was an early teether, so he got his first two teeth at 2.5M! Up until about 6-7M, I just wiped them clean with a cloth (usually 2-3x a day). They also make “teeth cleaning wipes” for babies (check Amazon), but a cloth works too. After he had 4-5 teeth I used a silicone banana shaped toothbrush, with training toothpaste (no fluoride). Around 9-10M I got him a Colgate starter toothbrush (Elmo) but also found a sonic toothbrush for babies. It has a light and vibrates like a Sonicare. He LOVED IT. It did most of the work for me! Around a year, he started getting better about brushing his teeth himself. He’s 18M now, and does an OK job but I do most of the work first. We also switched to a “smear” of fluoride toothpaste around 12M, per his dr. We don’t have fluoride in our water but that’s something you’ll want to find out for your water, too! Too much fluoride is BAD. We brush teeth at least twice a day, Am & PM, more if he eats sugary or sticky things. I’ll be totally honest though, there are some nights where we miss it, because he just passes out early or we just forget. I usually try to make up for it the next day! Don’t beat yourself up if you forget, but try to make it a good routine.
We find “brush your teeth” songs on YouTube and that seems to work best. I’ll sing along, and he has fun brushing along to the music. “Brush Your Teeth” by BabyFirst is a fantastic song that’s 1-2 minutes long and gets him so excited!
I got most of this information from his pediatrician. His doctor currently checks his teeth for us at every well visit, because due to Covid I’m not comfortable taking him to a lot of clinics right now. We live with someone who’s high-risk, so we’re limiting our outings. I plan on getting him to a pediatric dentist around his 2nd bday, since his doctor says his teeth look great right now! He has 18/20 teeth. Hope this helps! Happy Thanksgiving!
Here’s the song we like!!
We brush our teeth at the same time. My daughter wants to be like mommy. Then I go back over her teeth when I’m done brushing mine. I’ve always let her do it herself first, let her explore and play with the tooth brush. She loves it. Sometimes she’ll ask to brush her teeth throughout the day.
My daughter dislikes the flossing part with a burning passion!
Me and my 2 year old always brush our teeth together! He watches me and does what I do !
He started brushing his teeth by himself when he had decent control over it. Before I’d just brush them for him, one day he asked and so we brushed our teeth together and ever since then that’s what we do !
I got my son a cute vibrating minion tooth brush, the sensation helps ease the gums and he cna chew on it for ever if I let him, starting with something like that will help them get used to the bristles on their gums for when you’re ready to start actually brushing
I started brushing my son’s teeth as soon as he started getting teeth. Now he’s almost three and I let him brush his own teeth but I do brush them after because he doesn’t do it thoroughly. And we do it once in the morning after breakfast and once at night before bed.
Started for my when the first two teeth came and now he is 15 months old. The first thing he does every morning when he wakes up or after his afternoon nape is point towards is brush and I must give it to him or else he will not stop crying.
They say as soon as your baby gets a tooth they should go to the dentist but i didn’t take my daughter when she was one. Shes 6 now and brushes twice a day, we use cute toothbrushes and character toothpaste and mouthwash . i know there are some toothbrush songs on YouTube (doc mcstuffins has one)- I didn’t use them . I brushed her teeth when i did mine and i let her do it herself since she was four.
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By age two. First dentist appointment. Start brushing teeth after first tooth. Twice a day. From two to age 16 it will be battle, think dating lol. They will want minty breath. In between those years myself or husband watch the children brush their teeth each day, and not a cavity every. Also one can buy toothpaste or a mouthwash that will tell if the child is brushing long enough, its a dye on teeth, gums, harmless, tasteless. We use this product alot to teach, guide the kids as the dye dont lie, lol. In other words the parent will be overseeing this process till the dating starts
I’ve just always had my kids in the bathroom with me at night when I am brushing my teeth and I gave them a little toothbrush with the infant toothpaste then they caught on quick from watching my do it every night and morning. I started with them pretty early all 3 were maybe 6 months. Old enough they can sit up on their own and watch. Now my boys are 8 and 6 and do good I’m currently teaching my 15 mo old we all brush our teeth together. Kids learn quickly when they watch and observe. But it’s also about having a routine down. We always brush our teeth before bed every night and in the morning after breakfast.
My oldest son is six years of age.
He brushes his teeth himself and has been since age 5. Either myself or husband makes sure it’s done.
I was brushing my own teeth by 5.
Mine all go to the dentist for the first time around the first birthday and we go to a pediatric dentist. I start cleaning gums when they’re newborns so they’re used to it and was told to help with brushing until they’re capable of writing fluently in cursive.
Our dentist told us that our kids should not brush their own teeth until they are 12 on their own. They do the flossing and the rinsing on their own, but we help with their teeth. They also have been cavity free.
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I used to have to.sit on my son… he would’nt let you any other way…hes now 5 and starting to brush his own, mainlyhe brushesin the morning and i do nights, i check his work tho
Our dentist said 1 year old. I don’t let my 5 year old brush his own teeth. Our dentist told us she wants us to brush them until they can correctly write their name and stay in the lines when they color.
My 4 year old watches her big brother and want to do everything he do so since they like to rush it I had got them a glass hour flip it around twice its good to brush your teeth at the same time as them if they don’t have an older sibling
I was a dental assistant for years so I got all the info from work! But I started as soon as a tooth broke thru. I also started with a non fluoride toothpaste and I would brush then let them do it. I finally let my oldest brush his own around 7. But I would check his teeth afterwards. Also I pretty much just brushed mine at the same time hoping they would mimic me! I have three boys, 9, 6, and 1. We go to the pediatric dentist every 6 months. They love going and I love that they are getting the info! Good luck!
I was born without enamel on my teeth or whatever. So my teeth were wrotten from the get go. My kids started going at 1 year old. Granted there is not much to do, or the child will tollorate but they do the best to paint the teeth with anti-cavity stuff. So far so good. I brush my 13 month old child teeth every night
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My insurance called and told me to take him when he was 6 months. They scheduled his next appointment for around his 1st birthday. We went to my normal dentist but there are pediatric dentists that specialize in kids. I’d take him there if I had any real concerns. I got him a double sided toothbrush and we brush together then I go behind him and actually brush them since he is not good at all😂
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Oldest is 5- it was a pain at first but now she’s easily convince with the oral b app (we call it the Minnie Mouse app). Been using for 2 years at least. It tracks brushing and uses a timer. They can pick their own avatar (Minnie mouse for her obviously). They get “stickers” in a book for each brush.
Youngest is 18 month- right now just 3x wk with water and a brush to try to get him used to it.
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I will brush them ages 5-10 I mostly brush their teeth. Children don’t have eye hand coordination until their 11 to reach in the tough places. Sometimes I let them do it and I say sing ABC’s twice.
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You brush them with an age appropriate tooth brush and paste, it will be on the label. You do it for them even if they don’t cooperate all the time or they will end up with metal teeth. My 5 year old can adequately brush but sometimes I still have to do it for him
My son is almost 2 and brushes his teeth every night at bed time. He loves it. We use burts bees baby fluoride free toothpaste and he brushes on his own for a couple minutes then he gives me the toothbrush and I actually get all the teeth. He actually sticks out his tongue so I can brush it too.
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I started when my daughter got teeth with a rubber glove type thing that went on one finger and used baby toothpaste, a pea sized amount and then when she could stand, I let her do it or if she was being stubborn, I’d hold her down and do it myself.
They told me to brush his teeth till around 8 because they don’t have the dexterity yet to do it right
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I’ve always “brushed teeth” since they were born. I clean their gums with a wet rag or I buy the silicone finger brush. By the time they get teeth they’re already used to it. I switch to a brush whenever they’re old enough to not bite the brush. I had one child that was one and another that was 2. My 3yo still bites and chews her brushes 
Anyway. I start teaching them at two how to do it on their own. There’s even a special toothbrush with an app. It’s a game. The toothbrush the controller. You brush your teeth to clean the teeth in the game. That’s also a great way to help little kids. I dont remember how old they needed to be for a dentist. I think the recommendation was 2 years. Not all dentists see small children. At least in my experience.
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All mine started dentist at 6months. We also started flossing at that age. I have to monitor or brush all my kids. 3,5 and 8. I’m going to try the new Colgate game brush thing and see if that helps.
You can start the dentist at 1yr old. Start brushing their teeth once they come in with a baby tooth brush they sell. Brush your teeth in front of them so they see you then tell them your turn have them try and then you do it the right way for them.
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You can do hand over hand, then let them brush.
My son is 5 and he actually hasn’t been to the dentist yet. I’m not worried about it though because I started giving him a toothbrush very early and brushed his teeth twice a day myself until recently he does it on his own. If anyone has trouble getting their kids to brush their teeth by themselves blippi has a YouTube video on it
We recommend babies start visiting the dentist around 18 months old , you can add them to appointments earlier if you want .
Use a very small head toothbrush, even as children get older 7,8 9 moms should check or given the teeth a brush after the child as .
You can buy disclosing tablets to help the children see where they may be missing , teeth should be brushed a min of 2 mins , twice a day . Encourage children to look in the mirror as they brush .
Advice re food - sweet treats should be given at meals times , not in between , avoid sugary drinks, water is best , diluted squash if they won’t drink plain water , be aware that anything in tomato sauce , ketchup , juice is high in sugar .
Easy way to check , look at ingredients and the higher sugar is mentioned in the ingredients list the more the product contains .
Babies shouldn’t drink any sugar drink from a baby bottle , always from a sippy cup as this stops them holding it in their mouth .
It takes saliva 20 mins to dilute sugar in the mouth so it’s better to eat a treat in one go rather than over a prolonged period of time x
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My son is 2 and from the time he was newborn we would wipe his mouth with a wet wash cloth a few times a day so that he was used to having us clean his mouth. Now that he is older and we use a tooth brush we put some toothpaste on and let him have a turn to brush himself and when he is done then its mom or dads turn to brush. He loves brushing his teeth so usually it isn’t too difficult… unless he is tired. Sometimes we will brush our teeth while he brushes his so that makes it more fun too.
Mine are 2 and 3, I get them spinbrush toothbrushes with characters they like to encourage. I let them brush themselves for a couple minutes, then I put more toothpaste on and I brush for them.
We brush ours together… That way he knows how to do it properly and I know hes actually brushing