I totally relate to the part about second-guessing if it’s even worth it—my daughter gags every time and then I start wondering if I’m actually making things worse by stressing her out. The directions on our bottle are so vague, too. I always feel like I’m either giving too much or not enough, and then I worry about fluoride spots or something. I’ve skipped a couple nights when she was extra cranky, and then I felt guilty, but honestly, it didn’t seem to make much difference?
Has anyone ever had their dentist say it’s okay to not use it every single night? I keep meaning to ask, but then I forget until it’s bedtime and we’re both tired. Sometimes I wonder if the stress from the nightly battle outweighs the benefits... especially when brushing is already a struggle. Would love to hear if anyone’s dentist has given them more flexible advice, or if I’m just overthinking this whole thing.
Sometimes I wonder if the stress from the nightly battle outweighs the benefits... especially when brushing is already a struggle.
Totally get this. My son used to gag too, and honestly, there were nights I just skipped the rinse because it felt like too much for both of us. Our dentist actually told me not to stress if we miss a night here and there—said brushing well is way more important at this age. I still feel guilty sometimes, but I try to remind myself it’s not all or nothing.
I relate to this a lot—my daughter would spit out the rinse before it even hit her teeth, so I started questioning if it was worth the hassle (and the wasted bottle). Our dentist actually said as long as brushing is solid, especially with fluoride toothpaste, skipping rinse sometimes isn’t a big deal. Plus, those bottles aren’t cheap... I’d rather save them for when she’s actually up for it.
