Funny, I thought my grandkids would love the electric brushes forever, but nope—after a few weeks the “magic” wore off. They’d just sort of space out and let it buzz around their mouths, barely moving it. I get nervous about plaque (had too many fillings as a kid myself), so I stick close and try to show them how to really brush with a regular one. Honestly, I trust hands-on practice more for teaching good habits... even if it takes longer and there’s some grumbling. Maybe old-fashioned, but at least they’re learning the motions.
Honestly, I see this a lot—kids get bored with electric brushes pretty quick. You’re not alone worrying about plaque. Teaching them the motions by hand really can make a difference long-term, even if it’s a bit of a battle some days.
Honestly, I thought the electric toothbrush would be this magical solution—my son was obsessed with it for about two weeks. Now it’s just a fancy paperweight on the counter. He says it “tickles too much” and then just chews on it like a toy dinosaur. We’re back to the manual brush, which means more nagging on my part, but at least I can see he’s actually brushing, not just making buzzing noises.
I do think learning the motions by hand is better in the long run, even if it’s a struggle some mornings. I swear, getting him to brush properly is harder than getting him to eat broccoli... and that’s saying something. But hey, at least with the manual, I know he’s not just pushing buttons and zoning out.
It’s funny, I actually had the opposite problem—my daughter would barely touch her manual brush, but the electric one made her feel like it was a “grown-up gadget” and she suddenly got way more interested. That said, I do wonder if she’s just letting the brush do all the work and not learning the right technique. Has anyone noticed a difference in how well their kids actually clean their teeth with one versus the other? Sometimes I think it’s less about the tool and more about how closely we supervise...
This is exactly what I keep wondering about, especially since those electric brushes aren’t cheap. My son begged for one after seeing a commercial—he said it looked “cooler”—but honestly, I can’t really tell if it’s making a difference. He does seem more eager to use it, but then sometimes I catch him just kind of holding it in his mouth and zoning out, not actually moving it around.
I’ve read that technique matters more than the brush itself, but how do you actually get kids to care about that? I feel like the only time his teeth are really clean is when I’m standing over him reminding him to get every tooth... which gets old fast. Is there a trick to getting them to brush properly with electrics, or is supervision just always necessary at this age? Also, is anyone else worried about the cost of replacing brush heads all the time? That adds up way faster than I expected.
