Not Brushing Teeth Well Enough?

First if you have well water you need to have it tested for flouride content. You can do this through your county. If your water has naturally occuring flouride then you don't have to worry about it, otherwise you need a flouride supplement. It is by prescription and comes in a chewable w/ vitamins so if she takes a chewable vitamin she can take this. If you need, it also comes in a liquid but it takes kind of yucky.

As for her brushing on her own, you can let her start but you do need to finish for her. Try using one of those kids "spin brushes". I know that it's made it easier to do my almost 2yr olds teeth. I have friends that have done the same with much sucess.

Hope this helps!

My uncle is one of the top pediatric dentists in Suffolk County, and he said a child is not capable of brushing their teeth adequately until they can tie their shoes perfectly by themselves. Until then, they just don't have the dexterity, and you should absolutely "Finish" the job every time she brushes.

Hi, I think it's great she brushes on her own, but it is good you also help her to make sure she is doing a good job. We help our son and also allow him to do it on his own. His dentist said this is a very good thing to do. If you are unsure about the amount of flouride in the well water, you can ask your pediatrician about giving her a multivitamin with added flouride, just to be sure.

good luck.

S.

Well you should certainly be glad she doesn't argue LOL
But if you make sure she is drinnking enough TAP water , then she should be exposed to enough flouride from the water to keep her teeth in good condition,

Milk and juices have sugars which obviously are the major contributors, and not so much her daily vitamin,LOl

glad to hear atleast one kid who doesn't mind brushing independently,

I have 3 boys and they all give me a hard time.

Good luck
M

I gave my 4 & 5 year olds the job to floss & brush their own teeth without supervision because I taught them well & trusted them. Big mistake. It is amazing what 6 months of unsupervised oral hygeine (or lack there of) can do to a young child's mouth. I was mortified and embarrassed and ashamed when my daughter had 4 cavaties & my son had 1 at their last visit. Since then I vowed that no matter how good they are or how much they want to do it on their own it is MY responsibility to make sure their teeth are properly cared for. So we have gone back to mommy flossing and brushing at least 2 times a day. If they eat a lollipop I will brush afterwards if possible.

Point is, parenting is not about being the good guy, it is about being responsible for your child's health. It is your job to make sure they grow up healthy by whatever means necessary. Find a way that makes it less troublesome for her but I have learned that it is developmental and she should grow out of fighting you the older she gets. Brush her teeth 2x a day. Floss between any teeth that are touching at least 1x a day.

Baby teeth are important for growing healthy adult teeth. If there is decay in baby teeth that can cause real damage & a lifetime of problems in permanent teeth.