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Posted By
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May 30, 2008, 5:39 pm
Flag as Inappropriate DanaS
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Subject
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Dental Self Care
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I have a three year old daughter who just has no interest at all in doing her teeth herself. She faffs around and won't do it.
That's fine, because I am more comfortable when I do them myself. But when can I expect her to take more interest, and even start doing it herself more effectively?
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Comments
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May 30, 2008, 6:00 pm
Flag as Inappropriate Lrnngdn says...
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The difference varies with each child, but most take an interest in brushing, flossing and performing dental self care at the average age of four. Hopefully you won't have to harass her for too much longer. There are many things that you can try though:
Make it fun, they have musical toothbrushes available that sing while the child is brushing and stop when the two minutes is up.
Consider brushing more often, for shorter periods of time.
Tasty toothpaste can go a long way!
Finally, brushing with the parents, setting an example can go a very long way in teaching the child about oral health care!
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May 30, 2008, 6:00 pm
Flag as Inappropriate KatyDid says...
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She should be able to at least try to brush her teeth herself. You would probably need to finish up the job though, because 3 year olds do have a tendency to just chew on the toothbrush. lol. You might try getting her a cd of songs that are for toothbrushing. There is a cute one we used in Head Start called "Brush Rap". The song talks about how to brush, and it is the perfect length for correct brushing. It also makes it fun! There are also toothbrushes that blink when you press the bottom. They blink and the child knows as long as its blinking to keep brushing. My now-9-year-old absolutely loved those when he was younger, and he would go brush his teeth just so he could see it blink in the mirror.
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May 31, 2008, 3:38 pm
Flag as Inappropriate K to the J says...
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Well each child is different. Some kids love brushing their teeth, some just won't do it.
You should get her one of those toothbrushes with cartoon characters on it (her favorite cartoon of course). You should also get good-tasting toothpaste for her. Try and make it fun for her.
My niece loves brushing her teeth, she's also three. Her mom (my sister) got her an Elmo dvd that's all about brushing teeth. Since she loves Elmo she watches it all the time, and brushing her teeth is fun. By the way, her tooth brush is Elmo of course :)
Try it.
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May 31, 2008, 8:37 pm
Flag as Inappropriate Christie says...
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What worked for me with one of my daughters was by brushing my teeth with her. She liked to be "grown up" like Mommy so would try to copy me with everything. Flossing didn't come until about 5 or so. Try the little floss sticks as they are easier to use than the plain floss, especially for a young child.
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June 1, 2008, 6:17 am
Flag as Inappropriate Simplyme says...
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I have an 8 year old that use to really be into brushing her teeth. Now I am having serious issues with her not wanting to do it. I have tried everything from the fancy electric tooth brushes to having her do it with me. She is a little big for me to be forcing a tooth brush into her mouth so I am at a loss of what to do.
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June 1, 2008, 11:48 am
Flag as Inappropriate Mesha says...
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It all of that fails, (this is a little cruel) show here pictures of kids whose teeth has gone bad, maybe if she sees the results then that may help. Or you could show her pics of kids advertising toothpaste and how white and shiny their teeth are.
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