Trying to keep my 6-year-old’s teeth in good shape is, honestly, kind of a circus. She’ll brush her teeth (with some prodding), but I’m always second-guessing if she’s actually getting them clean or just eating the toothpaste. Lately, I’m seeing a lot of ads for kids’ mouthwashes that claim to help prevent cavities, and now I’m wondering if that’s worth adding to our routine.
I grew up with just brushing and flossing, no fancy rinses or anything, and my teeth turned out… okayish? Had a few fillings as a kid, not gonna lie. But these days it feels like there’s a product for everything. My daughter actually seems more excited about using a fun-tasting mouthwash than brushing sometimes (she calls it “magic swish”), but is that really doing anything if she’s not brushing well? Or is it just making her breath smell like bubblegum?
Would you stick with focusing on better brushing habits, or add in the mouthwash even if her brushing isn’t 100%? I don’t want to overcomplicate things or give her a false sense of security, but maybe the extra step helps? Curious what’s worked for your kids—do they actually use mouthwash regularly, or is it one of those things that just sits in the bathroom cabinet?
I totally get the “circus” feeling—same here with my 7-year-old. I’ve noticed that if I let him just swish and skip brushing, his teeth don’t feel clean at all.
In my experience, mouthwash is more like a bonus, not a replacement. We focus on brushing, but sometimes the “magic swish” helps motivate him to get through the whole routine. I wouldn’t rely on it alone, but it doesn’t hurt as an extra step.“is that really doing anything if she’s not brushing well? Or is it just making her breath smell like bubblegum?”
I actually have a bit of a different take—my daughter’s more likely to go through the motions with her brush but really puts effort into the mouthwash part. I know you said,
but for us, it’s been a bit of a gateway. Once she got into the habit of swishing, she seemed more open to brushing “the right way” instead of just half-hearted scrubbing. Maybe it’s the novelty? Either way, I agree brushing is key, but sometimes the order we do things in shakes up the routine just enough to make it work.“mouthwash is more like a bonus, not a replacement,”
That’s actually interesting—I’ve always wondered if switching up the order would help my son, who’s not a fan of brushing either. But doesn’t mouthwash just cover up the real issue if they’re not getting the brushing right? I get the novelty factor, but I worry he’d just rely on the “easy” part. Did you notice your daughter’s brushing actually improved long-term, or is it still hit-or-miss some days?
But doesn’t mouthwash just cover up the real issue if they’re not getting the brushing right?
It’s definitely hit-or-miss for us, honestly. My kid gets a kick out of mouthwash, but I agree—nothing really replaces a solid brushing. We tried letting her “swish” first as a motivator, but it didn’t magically make her more thorough with the brush. If anything, I have to watch that she doesn’t think mouthwash is a shortcut. Still, if it gets her in the bathroom and thinking about teeth, I count that as a tiny win.
