Mumsnet users share with Aquafresh how they get their children to brush their teeth

[EllieMumsnet]

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Regular tooth brushing can be a particular pain point for many parents, as often trying to persuade a wriggling, protesting child to open their mouth for this twice daily ritual is no small task. However there are lots ways to make it easier, and Aquafresh would love to know how you get your children to brush their teeth.

Aquafresh has this to say: “Here at Aquafresh, we know that brush time can be a challenge. That’s why we have Captain Aquafresh, the Nurdles and our brush time app to make your tooth brushing routines more fun! But we’d love to know, what are your brush time tips?”

So how can it be made easier? Do you employ a softly softly approach, waiting to spring with a ready-loaded toothbrush? Perhaps you bribe with an extra story at bedtime, or does your child actually listen to a logical, fact-based explanation of why it's good to brush? Maybe you’ve found that letting them pick out their favourite toothbrush and toothpaste help get them excited about brushing their teeth?

However you do it, share with Aquafresh how you get your children to brush their teeth and you could be in with the chance of winning a voucher worth £300 for the store of your choice (from a list).*

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

If you need to contact GSK to report a product quality issue, adverse event, have a question, request or complaint about a product, please email GSK at [email protected], call on 0800 783 8881 or contact GSK via the form located [https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/contact-us/ here]].

*All UK Mumsnet users aged 18+. Open 5/11/18 to 19/11/18. To enter please post on the thread below. One entry per person. One prize to be won: £300 voucher of winner’s choice (from a list). Winner chosen by random draw performed by computer process. Further Insight T&Cs at this link.

A mix of strategies:
Nagging
Gentle persuasion
Threats
Bribes
Songs
Making it fun - I once wore my sunglasses while brushing my teeth so DD copied me for the rest of the week.

Start as soon as possible watching us clean our teeth make it a fun time

My daughter has her own electric toothbrush and an app on her phone which tells her when to stop

My daughter has always done her teeth after breakfast/before school and at night before bed...as do I, which she sees as a normal routine.

I always check as they do it,particularly as they get older and lazier.but if they use a mechanical brush and a good amount of toothpaste then I'm happy.

I always got them to watch me and then we made it fun

We used to sing really bad opera to our 2yo to get him to open wide. Worked every time. Made it fun rather than a chore.

Now at 3.5 he does most of himself as long he has choice over the toothbrush. We just finish off at the end to make sure he hasn't missed any.

making brushing teeth fun with flavoured toothpaste and a timer

a bit of bribery.

We pretend that we’re at the dentist. Open wide! Then the dentist turns into a lion tamer with the Lion’s jaws have to be really open wide! And then a hippo, then a crocodile, then all those animals need to go to the dentist so they need to open their mouths wide too! Then we have to do teddy’s teeth too. Very important. 😬
And if those fail then I pretend I’ve forgotten how to do it and bop them (3 year-old twins) on the nose/cheek/forehead with their toothbrushes which makes them laugh = open mouth = teeth cleaned!

We start tooth brushing early from around signs of first tooth after 4 months & ive always shown my son’s that I brush my teeth twice a day if not three times a day.

Before we go downstairs in the morning they brush their teeth then myself or OH do it again for them.

They’re very happy to brush their teeth & even if I forget before bedtime they remind me which is brilliant for a 3 year old & 20 month old.

letting them choose the toothpaste in shop helped for a while

We use an Egg Timer, this seems to get the job done

I tell them honestly, they will get lits of bad bacteria living on their mouth which will cause cavities in their teeth. They will have to have a needle to fill the hole. Oh and their teeth will turn yellow. It works for my son, scare him into submission. He actually asks to brush his teeth, when he has eaten lots of sweets. Job done!

keep encouraging them to do them and show them old folks who have lost theirs

Ask, ask again, resort to begging, more begging, scream, shout, beg some more

She hates it so often just have to do it as fast as possible. Nothing has helped yet.

Bribery

Having a fun toothbrush helps but to be honest we haven’t found it too much of an issue. It’s all part of the bedtime routine awhich my son seems to enjoy.

We've tried flashing toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes, toothbrushes with characters on, the Blippi video, various other tooth-brushing songs, pinning down, letting them attempt themselves.... and then one day they just started doing it on their own.

Let them choose their toothbrush definitely worked for us

Olivia loves having wobbly teeth so the Tooth Fairy will leave her a lovely surprise under her pillow. She was told that if she didn't clean her teeth they'd be horrible & green so the tooth fairy wouldn't leave her anything as she only likes nice white teeth

We watch short videos on my phone whilst they brush or I play a song and say brush until it finishes. When they were younger there were tears, but I got electric toothbrushes that time for you which make it slightly better.

We started it as a game or little white lies like the tooth fairy wouldn't want their teeth when they fell out and she wouldn't leave any money. Then we introduced electric brushes that informed when the tooth fairy was happy with them cleaning them the alarm would go off! Worked a treat :)

A bright battery powered electric toothbrush and a timer helped