As a mother of young children, I find that getting my son to brush his teeth can be a great struggle. This issue has also come up with a lot of my paediatric clients with how to get kids to brush teeth. I thought I would share some very simple tips that can work wonders to get your child more excited and agreeable to brush their teeth.

  1. Buy a children’s electric toothbrush – this makes your child feel grown up and excited to brush their teeth just like mum and dad! You can probably even get them one with their favourite cartoon character.
  2. Use a fun timer so that they brush their teeth for long enough. There are some great phone apps that demonstrate which part of the teeth to brush and for how long. My son’s favourite one is called ‘Toothbrush Time – By Japps’. Alternatively, your child could listen to their favourite 2-minute song while they brush their teeth.
  3. You might want to buy a stool so that they can reach the sink and see themselves in the mirror when brushing their teeth.
  4. Motivate your child by giving them a sticker on their toothbrushing chart each night.
  5. Brush your teeth at the same time that your child is brushing their teeth.

Next time toothbrushing time is a struggle, give one of these ideas a try and let us know if you have any success!