Mom, I Don't Wanna Brush!

Children who have discovered they have some control in their lives and are resistive to their parent’s direction and instruction can be a more challenging issue. A term that extremely useful in these situations is "cheerful persistence."

First of all, parents need to be positive and keep a smile on their face when working with their child. Parents give many nonverbal cues to their children. If you go into a tooth-brushing session looking like you're going to war, more than likely it will be just that!

Secondly, oral hygiene is something that works only if it is undertaken on a regular basis. Therefore, daily brushing is a must. Avoiding tooth brushing because of the potential for a clash between a child and parent dramatically increases the potential for development of dental cavities.