Teaching your child to brush their teeth can sometimes feel like a daily negotiation.
One minute they’re happily brushing along to their favourite song, and the next they’re refusing to go anywhere near the bathroom because their toothpaste is “too spicy”, their toothbrush is the wrong colour, or they’ve suddenly decided that brushing their teeth is the worst thing that has ever happened to them.
As a dentist, and as someone who spends a lot of time thinking about how we can make oral care feel more positive, I believe one of the most important things we can do is help children build good habits early.
The good news is that teaching children to brush their teeth doesn’t have to be a battle. In fact, making brushing enjoyable, consistent and part of everyday life can help create habits that last well beyond childhood.
Here are my top tips for teaching your kids to brush their teeth.
1. Start making brushing part of the routine
Children thrive on routine. Just as getting dressed, having breakfast or putting on their shoes becomes part of the morning, brushing teeth should become something that simply happens as part of the day.
Try to keep brushing at roughly the same times each day. For most families, this means once in the morning and once before bed. The bedtime brush is particularly important because it removes the food and plaque that has built up during the day before the mouth goes into its quieter overnight period.
If brushing regularly is something you’re currently struggling with, don’t worry about making everything perfect overnight. Start by focusing on consistency. A short, positive brushing experience that happens every day is a much better foundation than a daily argument about achieving the “perfect” brush.
2. Make it fun rather than a chore
For young children especially, brushing doesn’t need to feel like a dental hygiene lesson.
Try:
- Playing their favourite two-minute song
- Using a timer
- Letting them choose their own toothbrush
- Brushing your teeth alongside them
- Taking turns brushing a toy’s “teeth”
- Creating a sticker chart
- Pretending to search for “sugar bugs”
- Letting them show you how they think you should brush
You can also turn it into a little game. For example, ask your child whether they can brush the “outside, inside and chewing surfaces” of every tooth before the timer runs out.
The aim is to help them see toothbrushing as a normal, and ideally enjoyable, part of their day rather than something they are constantly being told to do.
3. Let them have some independence… but don’t leave them entirely to it
Children naturally want to do things themselves, and encouraging this is important. Letting your child hold their toothbrush and have a go is a great way for them to develop confidence and become familiar with the movements involved.
However, being able to hold a toothbrush doesn’t necessarily mean they have the dexterity to clean every surface effectively. A good approach is to let them have their turn first, then have a parent or carer help to finish the job.
You could even make this part of the routine:
“You have a go first, then it’s my turn to check for any teeth you’ve missed.”
This feels much more collaborative than simply taking over.
4. Think about the toothpaste you’re asking them to use
This is something I think is often overlooked. If your child hates the taste of their toothpaste, brushing their teeth is immediately going to feel like a chore.
Some children find strong mint flavours overwhelming, particularly when they are younger or sensitive to certain tastes. If every brushing experience involves trying to persuade them to tolerate a toothpaste they dislike, it’s hardly surprising that resistance can become part of the routine.
That’s one of the reasons we created Dimples Peach Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste.
It has a gentle, fruity peach flavour, making it a great option for children (and adults) who don’t enjoy the strong taste of mint.
As with all of our Dimples’ toothpastes, Peach contains micro hydroxyapatite – a mineral that is naturally found in our teeth and bones. Our formula is designed to support a gentle approach to everyday oral care, without fluoride, SLS, parabens or artificial flavours.
Most importantly, though, it’s a toothpaste that children may actually enjoy using.
And when you’re trying to build a habit that needs to happen twice a day, every day, finding a toothpaste your child is happy to brush with can make a real difference.
5. Show them how to brush—don’t just tell them
“Go and brush your teeth” can mean very different things to a three-year-old and a ten-year-old. Rather than assuming your child knows what they’re supposed to do, show them. Stand alongside them in front of the mirror and explain that every tooth has different surfaces that need cleaning:
- The outside surfaces
- The inside surfaces
- The chewing surfaces
- The gumline, where plaque can build up
You don’t need to overwhelm younger children with complicated instructions. Keep it simple and repeat the same language each time.
For example:
“Let’s brush the front, the back, the tops and around the gums.”
The more consistently you repeat the process, the more familiar it becomes.
6. Don’t forget that children learn by copying you
Children are brilliant imitators. If they regularly see you brushing your teeth, looking after your own oral health and treating toothbrushing as a normal part of the day, they’re much more likely to see it as something that “everyone does”.
Whenever possible, brush together. Not only does this give you an opportunity to demonstrate good brushing habits, but it can also make the experience feel less like something that is being done to them. Family brushing time might not sound particularly glamorous, but it can be surprisingly effective!
7. Be careful not to make brushing a punishment
It can be tempting to say things such as:
“If you don’t brush your teeth, they’ll all fall out!”
or
“The dentist will tell you off if you don’t brush properly.”
While these comments might come from a good place, I don’t think fear is the best foundation for lifelong oral health habits. Instead, try to make brushing about looking after the body. You could explain that we brush our teeth for the same reason we wash our hands or have a bath: it’s part of taking care of ourselves.
Positive language can go a long way:
“We’re looking after your teeth so they can stay strong and healthy.”
8. Remember that it’s not just about the two minutes in the bathroom
Good oral health is influenced by what happens throughout the day too.
For school-aged children, think about the wider routine:
- Are they regularly sipping sugary or acidic drinks?
- Are they grazing on snacks all afternoon?
- Do they have water available throughout the day?
- Are they constantly eating dried fruit, fruit snacks or cereal bars?
- Are they having regular meals rather than continually snacking?
You don’t need to ban every treat or create anxiety around food. Oral health should be realistic and sustainable.
One of the most useful things parents can understand is that frequency matters. Repeatedly exposing the teeth to sugars and acids throughout the day can be more challenging for teeth than enjoying these foods and drinks less frequently as part of a meal.
Plain water is a great choice between meals and should be a staple in every school bag.
9. If one method isn’t working, try another
Every child is different. Some will happily brush with an electric toothbrush, while others find the sensation uncomfortable. Some will love a brushing app or timer. Others will respond better to copying Mum or Dad. Some will be motivated by a sticker chart, while others will just want to choose a toothpaste flavour they enjoy.
If brushing has become a daily battle in your household, don’t assume you simply need to be stricter. Sometimes a small change can make a big difference. Try changing the toothbrush, the toothpaste, the location, the time of brushing or the way you approach it.
The goal isn’t to win a battle at bedtime. The goal is to help your child develop a habit that will eventually become second nature.
10. Remember that good habits are built over time
As parents, it’s easy to feel like we’re getting things wrong when our children resist something we know is important. But teaching children to brush their teeth is a process.
There will probably be mornings when you’re running late, evenings when everyone is tired and occasions when your carefully planned routine goes completely out of the window.
That’s life.
What matters most is returning to the habit and helping your child understand that looking after their teeth is simply part of looking after themselves. Start early, make it positive, give them some independence and find products they genuinely enjoy using. Because if we can help children see toothbrushing as something normal, and maybe even something they look forward to, we’re giving them a habit that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Make brushing something they enjoy
If strong, minty toothpaste is one of the things standing between your child and a stress-free brushing routine, Dimples Peach Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste was created with exactly that in mind.
With its gentle peach flavour and hydroxyapatite formula, it’s designed to make every day oral care a little more enjoyable – for children and parents alike.