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.

I sing 'we brush brush brush...' to the tune of Hi Ho 'we dig dig dig...' Baby opens up every time!

We've recently bought DD an electric toothbrush which has definitely helped. She can now brush teeth unaided and I know it will be done relatively well without me needing to stand over her.

I used to tell the kids that the tooth fairy wouldn't leave them any money for their teeth if they weren't clean when they fell out! That helped too

Build it into part of the bed time routine for a very early age

You can buy all the flavoured toothpaste and electric toothbrushes in the world, but a simple explanation of the horrors later on in life of ignoring dental hygiene should be enough!

start young and get into a routine. Now they know if the don't do 2 minutes, they will be doing 4 minutes next time!

Best thing ever to get DS to brush his teeth regularly is his stepmum being a dentist... any arguments & I just picked up the phone & now he knows we're on the same page so he gets on with it

WE use child friendly toothpaste with their favourite toothbrush (they chose themselves) and a song to brush to! When the song stops that's when they must stop brushing their teeth x

for my son its part of his bedtime routine for which he has visuals due to his special needs, he has to brush his teeth before he gets his reading time before bed. Brushing in the morning just doesn't happen as its really difficult for us to get through morning routine to get to school so I keep it to the minimum, once we have brushing hair sorted then I hope to move on to brushing teeth

We use the "brushing teeth" song on YouTube! x

I show them my filling! Works like a great

It's part of their routine.Brush your teeth after breakfast and after you get your pyjamas on. Have been doing this since they were tiny so maybe the repetitiveness of it has finally stuck!

My son is much better about brushing his teeth now, although he still does them too quickly for my liking. When he was a few years younger it was a nightmare, I would have to stand and do them with him, do them for him, watch him to make sure he wasn't spitting it out while I was not looking and so on.

At the risk of sounding like I should be appearing on the next Jeremy Kyle episode.......

I wish my mother had made me brush my teeth every day, unfortunately she didnt. I used to suck a dummy late too. I had 4 teeth removed for braces and a lot of fillings, a futher 2 teeth were removed and I have crowns on the front two teeth.

Every time I asked our son to brush his teeth and he moaned about it I would just open my mouth and say, thats fine dont brush them, but instead you have to look inside my mouth for 5 minutes.

Seemed to work - he is 17 now and not had one single filling EVER. He actually thanked me a while ago for making him brush his teeth.

Tried to make it important part of routine from early age, bought novelty brushes, bought electric toothbrush that beeped etc but now in teenage years and still having to nag and remind!

I gave my 3 a toothbrush when they were a baby so they are quite happy to brush their teeth twice a day, my eldest daughter is sometime reluctant to brush her teeth, especially when she is tired, so I tell her the bacteria monsters are going to damage her teeth if she doesn't brush her teeth and she won't have any teeth left to eat all her favourite food and snacks, that always seems to do the trick.

I've never had any problems with getting the kids to clean their teeth, mostly I think due to letting them pick their own toothbrushes and cleaning together

i just nag and nag my lil boy until he goes to brush them. We used an app on the phone when he was younger which was a great help. e had to keep brushing his teeth until the timer and song stopped. The older hes getting though it doesnt work so much anymore.

We just used to brush their teeth from being young babies. We used soft toothbrushes and mild mint toothpaste. As they got older they had character toothbrushes which made it more fun. We'd let them watch us do our own teeth, let them have a go at doing their own and then do it for them. We watched that peppa pig dentist episode as well as regular visits to the dentist. We also explained what happens if you don't look after your teeth. It's honestly never been a struggle to get them to do it and it's been a part of their routine for so long now that they do it automatically.

When my D.C. was small and resistant we used to make them laugh in order to brush their teeth. Battery operated toothbrush and children's toothpaste.

I'm lucky that I've never had a problem getting my daughter to brush her teeth.

However, my sister is 10 years younger than me, so I do remember trying to get her to brush her teeth.

I introduced a tooth chart. She would get a sticker for each day she brushed her teeth in the morning and on a night. This stickers would then add up to a fun activity or her choosing.- Going to the park, going to the cinema, Doing arts and crafts with me. Different activities cost different amounts of stickers.

I also played her favourite song for 2 minutes every time she'd go to brush her teeth. She then knew how long to do it for :)

My 3 year old will usually let me brush her teeth once she's done them herself, she seems to find it tickly which helps!

My two older ones know that it is good for them to brush them and it's part of their bedtime and morning routine but it's a battle getting them to do it for long enough

Do them at the same time, and see who can stand on one leg whilst brushing for the longest time - great for building core muscles

We have made it a part of daily lives since they were very little and there was never any fuss made about it.

Ds is 11 now and brushes morning and night... with a gentle reminder.

When he was tiny it was very much a part of the routine. Special tooth brush and paste since he got his first tooth at 6 months old

Pure bribery here. It's all that works