My Child Refuses to Brush Their Teeth!

You feel like your bathroom has become a battlefield! Your child doesn’t even want to brush their teeth, and you’ve tried everything. You’ve asked nicely, you’ve yelled, you even tried a sneak attack, which ended in tears and now you’re at your wits end. How can you get your child on board with brushing their teeth? Here are some helpful hints.

Let Them Brush With You

Try brushing your own teeth with your child. Let them see that you brush for two minutes and how you do it. You might even try letting them brush your teeth and then you brush theirs.

Seeing you lead by example will give them an incentive to follow suit.

Choose the Right Tools

Children today have a wide array of choices when it comes to their toothbrushes and toothpastes. Fun shapes, characters, colors, and flavors abound! Get your child involved in the process of picking their toothbrush and toothpaste so they look forward to using their new tools.

You might consider switching your child to an electric toothbrush. These typically have timers, some play music, and some “smart” toothbrushes even interact with your child and allow them to play games while they brush.

Create an Incentive Chart

Create a chart to keep track of their daily brushing successes, and then reward them at the end of the week with a small toy or fun outing. This is a great way for your child to keep track of their progress and work toward a goal.

Use a Timer

A timer is a great way to turn brushing into a game, while ensuring that they are brushing for the recommended two minutes. Use an egg timer, and then keep track of their success with their incentive chart.

Your child should also be visiting the dentist every six months like you do. These visits help to monitor their oral health and development, while also teaching them the importance of their oral health, which can help you achieve better results at home.

About the Author

At DeMartino Dental Group, Dr. Nelida Garcia-DeMartino is our children’s specialist. She loves to take care of children of all ages and she uses advanced technology such as a water laser to make procedures pleasant, comfortable, and stress-free for your child.

It is our hope that they appreciate the importance of their oral health, and look forward to their visits at our office.

If you’d like to contact Dr. Garcia-DeMartino, she can be reached through her website, or by calling 908-859-5260.