Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Did your parents ever brush your teeth?

34 replies

Shadycurtain · 05/08/2023 23:01

For those born in the 80’s, how old were you when you started brushing your own teeth? I don’t recall anyone else ever brushing my teeth and had terrible dental problems as a child. I was also never supervised or shown how to do it, just left to my own devices. Trying to work out if this was normal in the 80s? Now it would be considered neglect but it wouldn’t have been then. I was born in the mid 80s.

I have young DC (5 and under) so either me
or DH brushes their teeth morning and night. The NHS and dentists advise to brush for young kids so that’s what we do. I encourage them join in and try brushing themselves for a few seconds, but only before or after I actually brush them properly. Once they get to about 6 I plan on getting them to do more of the brushing themselves while supervised/helped so that by 7 they can do it independently.

OP posts:
HopelessEstateAgents · 05/08/2023 23:04

You're over thinking this OP. I only brushed my kids teeth til age 3 maybe? Probably 2 actually.

They are 9 and 13 and have perfect teeth. Getting them an electric toothbrush is the best thing you can do.

justasking111 · 05/08/2023 23:04

Supervised mine in the 80s until I knew that they were doing it properly then would check their teeth. They also saw the dentist twice a year.

Gowlett · 05/08/2023 23:07

Unsupervised. I’m sure they were never brushed as a baby / toddler. We had loads of fizzy drinks, too.

I remember showing my sister how to wipe the toothpaste off our brushes & say we’d brushed them.

I had loads of dental work as a child. Still have all my metal fillings. My toddler is a nightmare at brushing…

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dental health
WheresTheRemoteControl · 05/08/2023 23:08

My middle name dc brushed own age 4 onwards
As did the older ones
My youngest is a 2 man job. 1 to hold down 1 to brush. They hate it they get so worked up.
Weve tried all different toothpastes, brushes, from plain, character, light up, battery electric ones.
Tried letting them do themselves as surely something better than nothing.
Brushing without toothpaste even.
Watching YouTube to distract.
They literally clamp mouth shut and that's it.

WheresTheRemoteControl · 05/08/2023 23:10

They do all however go every 6m to dentist with no issues so far

Original poster
Shadycurtain · 05/08/2023 23:10

🤣 Gowlett, your upbringing sounds similar

OP posts:
HotSince82 · 05/08/2023 23:12

Nobody ever brushed my teeth. Aged 40 I have perfect teeth.

One of my DC has had many cavities, she is my ex husbands' child. Ex H is fifty one and has dentures. He had bad dental problems and a mouth full of capped teeth when I met him, his mum has a mouth full of implants.
There is a massive genetic component to dental health which is never talked about/addressed.

Gowlett · 05/08/2023 23:13

My mum just let us get on with it, regarding most things. I don’t remember her ever being involved in my homework, or anything like that. We’d get up on Saturday morning & eat cereal in front of the TV. And we were out all day from a very young age. Walked home from school ourselves, as well. And went to the shop alone. Was normal back then…

TrudyProud · 05/08/2023 23:27

I was born in the mid 80s. My mum brushed by gums before I had teeth (she did the same with my younger brother and I remember this) , brushed my teeth once they came in and when I was 3/4 I'd brush my teeth under supervision and if she didn't like what she saw she'd brush them again.

Up until I was late primary school I remember spot checks - she'd ask to smell my breath etc. I've never had a cavity or a filling and still go to the dentist regularly.

I do the same with my DD and will do so with my other children.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 05/08/2023 23:52

I was born in the eighties and my parents supervised me until I was at least ten. I remember my mum buying disclosing tablets too!

WhisperingHi · 06/08/2023 00:29

I was unsupervised as a child. Used to swallow toothpaste or gurgle mouth wash to pretend I'd done it!

We clean our 5 year olds teeth too. Of the few families I know well enough to know their kids brush their own teeth, all kids have very questionable hygiene and poor dental health. I can physically see the plaque.

Parents are quite lax these days with lots of stuff. Diet, hygiene, discipline. Kids can almost do what they want, when they want. So I'm not surprised so many people leave brushing up to their young kids, knowing full well it will impact their oral hygiene. I would expect it's to save parents time and possibly prevent the kids being upset.

WhisperingHi · 06/08/2023 00:33

@Gowlett most toddlers hate it. You have to enforce it, it's for their health.

Karwomannghia · 06/08/2023 00:35

HotSince82 · 05/08/2023 23:12

Nobody ever brushed my teeth. Aged 40 I have perfect teeth.

One of my DC has had many cavities, she is my ex husbands' child. Ex H is fifty one and has dentures. He had bad dental problems and a mouth full of capped teeth when I met him, his mum has a mouth full of implants.
There is a massive genetic component to dental health which is never talked about/addressed.

Yes. I have never had fillings and my kids don’t but I know this is not effort. It’s luck. After I had my second I had gum disease briefly and the dentist tried to make out it was my fault. Ds is 18 and I still have to remind him. All he gets from the dentist is you should brush more but really meh you’re ok. It’s like body shape and the weight.

Dreamingofthishouse · 06/08/2023 00:37

Have terrible teeth as an adult and have had to have thousands of pounds worth of work over the years and actually quite resentment towards my mother for not brushing/ making sure I brushed as a child or regularly taking me to dentist. Remember going as a young child one or twice , had a traumatic tooth extraction primary school age, fainted and was never brought back- took myself back In university and those ten years of no dentistry came at a big cost!! I now brush my 3yr and 6 yr old teeth everyday no compromise. I do wonder about genetic link as my husband had same upbringing no support with teeth, limited dentist etc and has 1 filling in total!!

Enko · 06/08/2023 00:38

70s child here but I was an adult before I realised that it was not just because the mean dentist said so we brush our teeth daily (twice daily) I have paid for it with many fillings. My mother hated dentists and also had very strong teeth so didn't really believe in dental hygiene.

mondaytosunday · 06/08/2023 00:41

Im sure my mother did when little, can't remember when I took over. But I know we went to the dentist and I was signed up as part of the trail for some toothpaste or mouthwash in the 1970s. Every day at school break I had to brush my teeth and use a mouthwash snd our teeth were checked regularly. Didn't have a cavity til I was 16 which was unusual then!

OneMoreCookieMonster · 06/08/2023 00:47

Born in the 80s but from across the pond. Parents brushed our teeth with us a couple of times and that was it. We also learnt how to in school and with the dentist using a massive toothbrush and dentures. Also, remember learning in assembly. ( and how to wash faces, hands etc) we also had school dentists who would check every kid every 6 months and would refer to a dentist if needed. (Ans then there was the dreaded nit nurses) That's where we also got our new tooth brushes from, school and when we went to dentist. I don't remember my parents buying us them until we were in high school so from about 14. Same with floss. Dentistry wasn't covered you had to have a separate insurance for it or it was covered through parents working contracts known to us then as benefits. Part of a normal check up even from a young age would be a scale and polish and whitening using trays with a bubble gum flavoured whitener.

OneMoreCookieMonster · 06/08/2023 00:54

Oh we let our 8 yrs old brush his teeth himself I'm the morning it go over them at night. Our dentist has recommended supervision until he's 12.

Baby's gums and tongue get done every evening and have been since birth. I sometimes do his tongue mid day as well if I notice alot of milk collecting at the back of baby's tongue. Baby also has reflux so being super careful to keep mouth clean.

Housenoob · 06/08/2023 00:55

I brush my 2 year olds teeth and intend to carry on until around 6 or when I'm satisfied she can do it well enough herself. It's been a big uphill battle and the only way she will let me do it is by watching the Blippi toothbrushing song with the promise of watching something else after - this is the only time I have to resort to bribery with screens but it's the lesser of two evils, the worse evil being tooth decay and poor oral health.

I think my mum helped brush mine till about 4, I was born late 80s.

HRTQueen · 06/08/2023 01:03

70’s child

I remember being watched and the Noddy strawberry toothpaste I had

I can’t remember anyone brushing my teeth but I’m sure they did as quite obsessed with us having good dental hygiene (my mum has had terrible problems with her teeth and grandparents had false teeth

ReluctantFishLady · 06/08/2023 01:11

I grew up in the 80s and my parents had no interest whatsoever in teeth brushing.

ReluctantFishLady · 06/08/2023 01:12

What's with brushing babies gums if they have no teeth by the way. Is there any benefit to this?

cigarettesNalcohol · 06/08/2023 01:43

I brush my daughters' teeth. 20 months old so obviously needs help. The 5 year old is sometimes asked to brush hers by herself when I'm in a rush and running late but I try not to let that happen to often as I know she doesn't brush properly. I do remind her how to do them correctly but to be honest I still prefer to do them 90% of the time because I want to make sure her teeth are truly clean. It's a pain in the arse at times but I'll continue doing their teeth until at least 6/7 years old probably.

cigarettesNalcohol · 06/08/2023 01:48

Sorry to add - born 91' and don't remember my parents doing my teeth. I was the last of 3 and I think my parents didn't care about too much by then. I have a mouth full of cavities now and remember eating sweets all day every day as a teen. I'm paying the price for that now but don't think there was much my parents could have done anyway even if they knew/cared - I would have continued anyway. They both have really bad teeth and I also think there's a big hereditary factor at play here. Husband and his parents have perfect teeth.

caringcarer · 06/08/2023 02:51

I have 2 DC born in 1980's and I brushed their teeth with baby toothpaste. When 4 I let them brush them themselves under my supervision. None of them did anything like clamping their mouth shut or refusing to brush because they know they wouldn't get their story then. Also if you've brushed since they were 6 months old twice a day why would they suddenly clamp their mouth shut? I was quite strict with my DC and I know my DD follows suit with my DGC. I know if I take my dgc out somewhere they would not misbehave or refuse to do as I told them.