What age for letting children do their own teeth?

[FourFortyFour]

Mostly we still do all our children's teeth for them but it was impossible for me to get ds to do his this morning. I wanted to do them as he went to bed last night without doing them, I didn't know this. He said he didn't need them doing as he had had nothing to eat (another issue atm).

As soon as they can hold a toothbrush.

Let it be a fun experience with plenty of made up silly stories about crocodiles and sharks with big teeth. Mimic the brushing action to start them off.

My dc are aged 12, 10, 8 and 5 now and I have never once brushed their teeth for them since they've been old enough to hold a toothbrush themselves.

If it starts out fun it stays that way and they get into a regular routine so it becomes natural by the time they're potty training.

The dentist always gives them stickers as they've not had a filling between them.

Our denitist says they don't have the fine motor skills to do a good job til they are 7 or 8.

We usually let them start, then we finish brushing for them.

Mine are 4 and 5 and they do it themselves but I finish the brushing as well. I have bought them an mirror placed at their height in the bathroom so that they can look at themselves in the mirror and see what they are doing.

I knew about the motor skills thing and 2 of mine are under 8. None of fillings and they don't eat sweets very often or have fizzy drinks or anything other than milk or water at all but I still wonder if they can actually clean their teeth properly themselves. They have electric brushes so that helps. My older child would go to bed without doing them so we will compromise with he can do them but we watch and then check.

Thanks every one.