It can often be quite stressful, trying to persuade your children to brush their teeth thoroughly twice a day, especially if you are running late on a morning or just trying to get them into bed on an evening.

Children often seem unwilling to brush their teeth themselves or even to have them brushed by their parents, seeing oral care as another thing that grown-ups force them to do.

You can encourage your kids to follow a good oral healthcare routine by joining in with them, and brushing your teeth when they need to brush theirs. This way it becomes something that you do together and the children realised that everyone has to brush their teeth, even Mums and Dads!

Research has shown that people who were introduced to good dental hygiene skills at an early age are more likely to maintain these good habits into adulthood, keeping their mouth and teeth as healthy as possible.

Another way to encourage your children to brush is by using music. Many children’s electric toothbrushes come complete with a fun tune that times the amount of time you need to brush. Or you could buy a copy of the song “Brush Your Teeth” by the children’s songwriter, Raffi.

This lively song incorporates the sound of brushing into the track and will make teeth brushing seem like a more fun activity, rather than a chore that the kids will resent, and try to resist.