Brushing teeth seems to be an area of conflict between parent and child in most homes. Here are some tips to reduce the caterwauling.

Aaron* started brushing his teeth before he really had any. Well, it was more like sucking the bubble gum-flavoured toothpaste off his tiny toothbrush, then handing it back for another blob of the pink goo.

His parents tried all sorts of tactics to take the battle out of the exercise, but it was proving difficult to win. Some strategies worked for a while, such as a tooth-brushing rhyme (from DJ Opperman’s Groot Verseboek), or letting him brush his mom’s teeth while she whizzed the brush across his, however, it seemed he much preferred chewing his toothbrush to poking out his mom’s tonsils with hers.

how do you get it right?

Stories of the need for general anaesthetic to sort out dentistry issues in the milk teeth of six-year-olds and the associated medical bills are quite a motivator. But, practically, how does one banish the caterwauling, get the toothbrush between those tightly clamped lips and give those not-so-pearly whites a decent clean.

A toothbrushing demo is a great strategy, but it requires an audience and a child keen to impress them.  Try this: “Look what a clever boy you are  – opening your mouth nice and wide so that Daddy can get to all your teeth and brush off the little men [aka plaque] trying to chop holes in them.”

Other tactics to help include:

• Turn brushing teeth into a game or competition between the child and parents or child and siblings and make it a fun part of the daily routine. For example, use a timer and see who can finish brushing properly before the timer goes off .
• Let your child bring their favourite stuffed animal into the bathroom so they can practise their tooth brushing on their toy.
• Set up a reward chart and give them a gold star every time they brush (or let you brush) their teeth properly.

Find out more about dental health and beneficial foods and starting a dental care routine early

teeth preservation tactics

• Before the first teeth appear, you can wipe your baby’s gums with a damp cloth, do this after each feed, so they get used to the sensation.
• Start brushing your baby’s teeth at least once a day as soon as they get their first tooth; clean a toddler’s teeth twice a day.
• Use an age-appropriate toothbrush: a baby’s first toothbrush should have a small head and soft bristles.
• Use only a tiny blob of low-fluoride toothpaste until adult teeth appear. Teach your child to spit out the toothpaste.
• Supervise and help children to brush their teeth until at least around age 6 to 8. Only at this age, will they be able and responsible enough to brush well, rinse and spit into the sink, unsupervised.
• Don’t rush to introduce your baby to fruit juice. If you are giving your older baby or toddler fruit juice, rather dilute it.
• Avoid fizzy, sugary or acidic drinks.
• Give syrupy medication using a medicine syringe instead of a spoon – this way you limit the contact between the sugary syrup and your baby’s teeth.

*Names changed for privacy purposes