When do you let a child brush their own teeth?

[Bron]

I had an interesting chat with a dental therapist yesterday and it made me wonder what other parents do. At what age did you/will you let your child brush their own teeth? Not them starting it and you doing a proper job, but them doing the whole lot?

I'll add a poll, I think.

[Theophania]

Good question. DS is 14mo at the moment, and I am still doing the brushing first then letting him take over after I have done it right.

I suppose taking care of his teeth is such an important thing that I probably won't trust him to do it himself properly without me helping/watching till he is at least 5-6.

But I have no idea what age it should be?????

[Bron]

But I have no idea what age it should be?????

I have an answer, but I won't post it yet. Interested to see people's ideas first.

[Myztik]

DS1 has just turned 8 and has been doing his own for a month or two now.. I still watch and tell him if I think he needs to do a bit of a better job though.

[sweetsugardumplin']

Ah yes, bit of a contentious issue in our house ATM

DS who is nearly six gets very shirty with us when we `finish off', but we'll keep on doing it for a while yet!

I'm thinking about eight or nine or ten :o

[Hollywood]

I picked 5 to 7, I really wouldn't trust him to do it properly any earlier than about 7.

[nothanksbye]

DS is about to turn 8 and I still brush for him..
I will untill he wont let me..so maybe 9 or 10?

[*Chels*]

I let my DS who is 4yo,and DS2 who is 1 do it themsleves with an electric toothbrush,then I check and go over it myself for a min or so.
I will keep doing it until they are waaayyyy old.SOOOOOO scared of dentist,I dont wnat them to ever have to get fillings!!!

[JosieJo]

I let Miss 5.5 do it on her own first in the morning, then I give it a quick finish up. At night time I give it a proper about 1 min brush, and then she finishes up. Mainly a time factor, as we always seem to be running late lol! She does do a fairly good job though, and knows to do every tooth etc but I like to ensure she has done it right, especially before bed. I think probably 7 or 8 will be the age we stop helping her, however, the main issue we have is if we let it do it all herself Mr 2 would stop letting us help him as he considers himself equal to her in all ways "My not too little!"

[my_lot]

here is what we do-

Try to avoid sugary foods/drinks without teeth brushing straight after.

Wash mouth out with water after food if you can not brush

Teach children to floss from age 8

and brush their teeth FOR THEM until 10years of age

and of course take them to the dentist for check ups!

[melinc]

I gave my DS a tooth brush around 12 months of age - he has been brushing since.

We both visited the Dentist a few weeks back and his teeth are perfect which I
was very pleased to hear.

Now to get him to brush twice a day.

My DD has just turned 1 and I have already started her.

You can't leave it too late, the young girl (age 5) we used to live next door too had all her front
teeth pulled out coz she never brushed and age chocolate ALL the time.

Mel

[biscotti]

Our 12 yr old and 10 yr old brush their teeth without my supervision, the 3 yr old and the 2 year old do not!!! I brush for them, well we do the "mummy's turn, your turn" thing :)

[MummaBear03]

At 6.5 she does it herself in the morning with my supervision, and I do it at the end of the day. She also does swish and swallow after eating with my supervision when she's home. Obviously I can't watch her at school and don't ask her teachers to, but she doesn't get anything other than water to drink at school either.

[chameleon]

I posted a similar thread not long ago, as my DD (who is 4) likes to do it herself. She does it alone in the morning and I help at night.
I voted for 5-7. I can remember brushing my own teeth from about 4. I think I would've been motified if Mum was still brushing my teeth at 12!

[Leeny]

Sorry, just to clarify, do you mean you haven't helped your son brush his teeth since he was 12 months, as in he's been brushing his own ever since?


I gave my DS a tooth brush around 12 months of age - he has been brushing since.

We both visited the Dentist a few weeks back and his teeth are perfect which I
was very pleased to hear.

Now to get him to brush twice a day.

My DD has just turned 1 and I have already started her.

You can't leave it too late, the young girl (age 5) we used to live next door too had all her front
teeth pulled out coz she never brushed and age chocolate ALL the time.

Mel


Absolutely until she's at least 7 or 8. I believe the recommendation is that kids should be at least that age before they're trusted to brush on their own, even then it should be supervised. I'm so incredibly anal about teeth!

[melinc]

We brush our teeth together. So in the morning we both go into the bathroom, I hand him his toothbrush with toothpaste on it and he brushes, rinses and spits. He is 3.
His sister is handed a toothbrush with a teeney bit of toothpaste on it but she mostly chews it. She is 1.

I'm guessing by primary school age they most certainly should know to go brush their teeth twice daily and just do it, and i'm assuming this will happen if they have been taught properly.

Hope this clarifies.

[InSaneOne]

ideally when the child has sufficient motor control to handle the tooth brush easily. if using a manual toothbrush i would be helping until at least age of 8-10
if using an electric toothbrush probably a little bit earlier as they are easier to manage but either way the kids will still be supervised while brushing until they are teenagers.

[SweetSerenity]

I picked 7 - 9.

DS is 5 and doesn't brush his properly if I leave it to him. So I do it still for him.

Depends on the child though :yes:

[TripleTime]

My 3 are 9mo & brush their own teeth. They have their 2 bottom fronts.

DS has oral aversions & will NOT let anything near his mouth unless he has hold of it.

Because non of them can sit but can bear weight on their legs, they stand on the vanity with us holding them while they 'brush' their teeth.

I wont turn teeth brushing into a fight & thats what would happen if i tried to brush their teeth.

[MummaBear03]

I gave my DS a tooth brush around 12 months of age - he has been brushing since.

We both visited the Dentist a few weeks back and his teeth are perfect which I
was very pleased to hear.

Now to get him to brush twice a day.

My DD has just turned 1 and I have already started her.

You can't leave it too late, the young girl (age 5) we used to live next door too had all her front
teeth pulled out coz she never brushed and age chocolate ALL the time.

Mel

That's about not brushing teeth at all, rather than having an adult brush them.

Pretty much all dentists and the paediatrician said that too many parents are leaving their kids brush their own teeth way too young, and stopping the supervision too early. Add to that poor diet of high sugar food and drinks, and that's why we have such a problem with the state of teeth on some children.

Too many times I've looked after kids who are 3 or 4 and brought to daycare straight out of bed, still in pjs, but without bringing a toothbrush or anything. They are dropped off at 6am and we give them their tea at 5 then bath them and put their pjs back on and apparently they fall asleep in the car after being picked up at 6pm so obviously no teeth brushing at night either. Also too often, parents are saying that their 4 and 5 year olds just go to the bathroom and brush their teeth without being asked (or supervised) and they think it's a good thing, until the adult teeth grow through already damaged :(

Yes children need to be introduced to a toothbrush from the time they are babies, you can buy those stages ones for before they even have teeth, but should not be left to do it alone until around 8 and they should be still supervised while brushing until they hit their teens.

[Bron]

According to the therapist I spoke to, you need to keep doing it for them until they have the manual dexterity to tie their own shoelaces without looking and do neat running writing, so mid-late primary school. Until that age they just polish the front teeth over and over again and don't manage to do anything decent with the back teeth at all.

[The Girls Only Club]

When DD1 was a baby,I didnt know any better and gave her juice in a bottle.(I was only 16 and babies dont come with a manual and had no relationship with my mum at the time.It was just me and DH and we made many mistakes.)By the time her front teeth came in they were destroyed :( They were rotten as soon as they erupted.She had them removed when she was 20 months and I have been @nal about both the girls teeth since.They brushed their teeth and I took over to ensure it was finished properly. When DD1 turned 9 she took over and I still check every time.DD2 had just taken over doing her own teeth.

[WorkingClassMum]

My 2 have been brushing their teeth on their own since about 5ish. They were at the dentist last week and he said that they are doing an excellent job on their teeth.

I hear what the hygenist is saying and a general age recommendation is a good idea along with qualifications (ie measures of dexterity/ability)

[MummaBear03]

My 2 have been brushing their teeth on their own since about 5ish. They were at the dentist last week and he said that they are doing an excellent job on their teeth.

I hear what the hygenist is saying and a general age recommendation is a good idea along with qualifications (ie measures of dexterity/ability)

Of course every child is different and when recommendations are given it's for *most* children and won't suit *all* children. Or it's just an average really. Like saying pregnancy is 40 weeks, how many of us are pregnant for 40 weeks exactly?

DD had some kids in her Prep class doing up their own shoe laces and doing their own hair at 4, whereas other kids are 8 or 9 and can't do their shoe laces or tie their hair up. I'll wait and see with DD and let her do it herself when I feel she's ready, but will use what dentists and her paed has said as a guide.

[drewid]

My 5yo is pretty useless with it, so let him start and then finish it off. I can't see this changing for quite some time. I would think 7-9 at best, but probably even older.

[~Candy~]

All4 of my kids have an electric toothbrush, however, they only brush their own teeth once they start school as a part of their morning routine.