That sounds so familiar—my daughter was obsessed with getting one of those flashy electric brushes too, mostly because her friend had one with a cartoon character on it. I was really hoping it would be the magic fix for getting her to brush better, but honestly, I’m with you... the novelty wears off, and then she’s just sort of standing there, half-brushing, half-daydreaming.
I’ve read the same thing about technique being more important, and I wish I had a trick up my sleeve. Sometimes we use those little disclosing tablets (the ones that turn plaque pink), and that helps her see where she missed, but it’s messy and not something I want to do every day.
The cost of replacement heads is no joke, either. I try to stock up when they’re on sale, but even then it feels like I’m just bleeding money for the sake of “cooler” brushing. At this point, I’m still hovering nearby most nights, just to make sure she’s actually brushing, which gets exhausting. If someone figures out how to get kids to actually care about their toothbrush technique without constant supervision, I’d love to know... until then, I guess it’s just part of the parenting grind.
At this point, I’m still hovering nearby most nights, just to make sure she’s actually brushing, which gets exhausting.
- Same here, honestly. I thought the electric brush would be a game changer, but after the first week my son just waves it around like a magic wand.
- We tried those plaque tablets too—fun for him, but yeah, total mess.
- I wonder if setting a timer or playing a short song helps? Sometimes music keeps him focused a bit longer.
- The price of those brush heads... wow. I keep asking myself if it’s really worth it versus regular brushes.
- Technique seems to be the real hurdle. If only there was an easy fix for that.
Technique seems to be the real hurdle. If only there was an easy fix for that.
I feel you on this. I used to watch my grandkids brush and honestly, it’s like herding cats. The electric brushes are fun at first, but then they just sort of zone out and go through the motions. When my kids were little, we tried singing silly songs—sometimes it helped, sometimes not. Honestly, I think it’s just a phase. Eventually, they get the hang of it, but boy, those early years are a test of patience...
That’s so relatable. I’ve noticed with my niece, it’s not just about the brush—manual or electric—it’s whether she’s actually paying attention. Do you think maybe supervision matters more than the brush itself? We tried timers, but she’d still rush sometimes...
You’re right, supervision makes a huge difference. I’ve seen kids zone out with both brush types if no one’s around to check in. In my experience, electric brushes can help a bit since they do more of the work and some have built-in timers or even music, but honestly, if a kid’s just moving it around without focus, plaque’s still left behind. We tried making it a game—like “let’s see if you can get all the blue stuff off your teeth” with those disclosing tablets. That worked better than any timer or fancy brush for us. It’s less about the tool and more about keeping them engaged, at least until they get the hang of it.
