One of the important responsibilities of a parent is to teach their child how to brush their teeth. However, some children simply do not want to brush their teeth. If that's a problem, a pediatric dental specialist might be able to help.

Brush Early

Brush your child's teeth as soon as they emerge. While you may think that baby teeth will simply fall out, decaying baby teeth can damage your child's permanent teeth. Your child may also suffer from gum disease. If you have always been brushing your child's teeth, he or she will be used to the practice and will not find anything strange about it.

Choose a Different Toothpaste

A lot of times, kids do not want to brush their teeth because they don't like the taste of the toothpaste. The good news is that there is toothpaste made for children that are sweeter or that might come with a fun flavor. Talk to a pediatric dental specialist, such as Dentistry For Children & Adolescents about which toothpastes they recommend.

Visit a Pediatric Dentist

A pediatric dentist can help teach your child how to properly brush his or her teeth. Having an authority figure talk to your child about teeth brushing might help convince him or her to do it, especially if your child likes the dentist. You can also help your child become better at oral hygiene by modeling good oral hygiene. When it's time to brush your teeth, do so alongside your child. 

Bringing up your child's reluctance to brush his or her teeth with a pediatric dentist may also lead to the dentist discovering that your child has a medical problem that causes him or her to not want to brush his or her teeth. For example, it might be painful or uncomfortable for your child to brush and floss.

Maintain a Schedule

Stick to a consistent schedule when brushing your teeth. This will help your child associate brushing with a specific time of the day and your child will be more likely to remember doing so. Also, create a reward system. If your child immediately brushes his or her teeth, you could allow for extra TV time before bed. If your child doesn't brush his or her teeth right away, you could send him or her to bed sooner. Make sure to praise your child and make brushing fun. Find a way to make it a game or sing a song while doing it.