How can adults encourage infants and young children to cooperate with toothbrushing?
Infants and young children do not have the hand coordination to brush their teeth effectively. They need help from an adult to make sure that they don’t use too much toothpaste and that they brush their teeth thoroughly. For this reason it is recommended that an adult brush the child’s teeth at least twice a day (after breakfast and before bed). But young children want to be independent, and they don’t always cooperate when an adult tries to brush their teeth. Fussing or crying can be common. The strategies listed below are suggestions. Depending on the child and the situation, they may or may not work. Adults need to be patient and creative and to try different approaches. It’s also important to praise a child regularly for doing a good job with toothbrushing. 1. Children like to copy adults, so the adult can invite the child to brush at the same time as the adult. Before the child finishes, the adult can take the child’s brush to “check what a good job the child is doing.” This gives
