One thing I do wonder about is how much of this is just habit vs actual effectiveness. Like, are we overthinking it? My grandma had all her teeth into her 80s and swore by those cheap flat brushes you get at the dollar store. No electric bells or whistles in sight.
This hits home for me. My mom’s the same—just a basic brush, and she’s never had a cavity. Meanwhile, I’m out here with my fancy electric and still getting the occasional “watch that molar” from the dentist. I feel like half the battle is just getting kids to brush at all, let alone worrying about which brush does what.
We did switch my daughter to an electric when she started losing teeth, mostly because she thought it was “cool” and would actually use it without a fight. Not sure if it’s making a huge difference, but if it gets her brushing for the full two minutes, I’ll take it.
I do think some kids are just naturally more thorough, like your middle one. My son could brush for 10 seconds and somehow pass inspection... no idea how that works. Genetics? Magic? Either way, I’m with you—if they’re not eating toothpaste by the spoonful, I’m calling it a win too.
I’m nodding along to all of this—my family’s got the same weird mix of “how is this working?” when it comes to brushing. My dad’s in his 70s, barely upgraded his toothbrush since the 80s, and he’s never had a filling. Meanwhile, I’ve got every gadget under the sun and still end up with a new spot to watch every time I go in. I swear, sometimes it just feels like luck of the draw.
I do think there’s something to be said for just getting kids to brush without a meltdown. We tried manual brushes for ages with my youngest, but it was always a battle—she’d get bored in 30 seconds and start making bubble beards instead. The electric one made it feel like a toy, so she actually sticks with it longer now. I can’t say her teeth are dramatically cleaner, but at least she’s not skipping half her mouth.
But yeah, some kids just seem genetically blessed. My nephew barely brushes and somehow has perfect teeth. Meanwhile, my oldest is meticulous and still gets cavities. Drives me nuts. Maybe there’s something about saliva or enamel strength that matters more than technique? Or maybe it’s just what they’re snacking on between meals.
At the end of the day, if they’re brushing twice a day and not eating toothpaste like it’s dessert, I figure we’re ahead of the game. The only thing I’m strict about is making sure they don’t chew on the brush head—lost too many bristles that way over the years.
Funny how much energy we put into this stuff when our parents and grandparents just...did it and moved on. Maybe we are overthinking it a bit, but hey, whatever keeps their teeth in their heads works for me.
It’s wild how much genetics seem to play into it. I’ve got one kid who’ll brush like it’s a race and his checkups are fine, then my daughter does everything “right” and still gets cavities. Do you notice any difference if your kids floss regularly, or is brushing the main focus?
I’ve got one kid who’ll brush like it’s a race and his checkups are fine, then my daughter does everything “right” and still gets cavities.
Same here—my oldest barely pays attention and somehow never has issues, but my youngest is super careful and still gets a cavity or two. We started using flossers every night, but honestly, I can’t say it’s made a huge difference yet. Have you noticed any change if you switch up toothpaste or even try different toothbrush types? Electric seemed to help a bit for us, but it’s hard to tell if that’s just luck.
Electric seemed to help a bit for us, but it’s hard to tell if that’s just luck.
We switched to electric toothbrushes after my daughter kept getting cavities even though she was super diligent. Honestly, I think it helped her reach the tricky spots better, but genetics just play a big part too. Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, some kids are just more prone. Don’t get discouraged—it sounds like you’re already doing all the right things.
