At what age did you teach your children to brush their teeth properly or did

[?Joan R?]

you leave it to the schools? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7295895.stm

I know jolly well that my boys were expected to brush properly and regularly from a young age and before that I did it for them.I also made sure that they brushed when they fist got home from school as well as in the mornings and before bed and that meant that they had healthy teeth and it became a habit with them (although there were lapses such as when my eldest came home from cub camp with their new toothbrushes that I had packed unused but I soon got them back on track!).
What is more they were not allowed sweets or sugary drinks between meals.
I used to have my grandsons brush after school too when I had them here but my daughter-in-law claimed that they were "overbrushing" which is nonsense but I at least put my children's dental health as a high priority and only wish that more *parents* (not relying on the schools when it may be too late) would do the same.
What do you think - is dental care and hygeine a parental duty?
If children see tootbrushing as a "chore" then too bad - like other things that they need to do they must be made to obey.
I know that I stood over mine to make sure that they brushed properly and inspected them too.If they had not brushed properly I made them brush again and they soon learnt to brush thoroughly in the first place - that was being a *good* parent in my opinion.
I agree that children should be allowed to brush at school after their meal and I asked my boys' headmisstress but she said that it would take up too much of the teachers' time.It is why I made them brush the minute that they got in.
However teaching them *how* to brush properly should be done at home from a young age - and with the advice of a dentist if needs be but it's hardly rocket science!

[Gartom]

My son was taught to brush his teeth the minute he was old enough to learn!

A lot of people don't seem to realise that the state of a child's milk teeth influence the state of the adult teeth when they come through!
It's of utmost importance that a child looks after their teeth....... especially with the way NHS dentists are going!

[moonstone]

My girls had their teeth brushed gentle from the first tooth and when they could hold a toothbrush they got to have a go and I would finish it. It just progressed from there. In the early days they really just chewed the brush but it got them into the routine.

[camden]

i was tought to brush my teeth at 3 years old and i have nice teeth

[Daisy Duke]

From they have their first tooth. And show them regularly until the are 7 years old or more until you know for a fact that they are doing it properly.

[chrissyb]

My kids school doesn't teach how to brush teeth. I watch my kids brush their teeth up to the age that they think they can handle it themselves.

[Mom]

Dental care is definitely a parents responsibility - anything to do with a child's overall health is all on the parents, in my opinion. My kids were taught good dental hygiene from day one. Brushing teeth is second nature to them now - they're 7, 5 and 4 and all brush great, and its part of their daily routine.