It seems most every parent confronts a universal truth early in the process of rearing a child: Kids like to do for themselves. Whether eating, bathing, walking or climbing precariously on a jungle gym, children naturally display a need for independence as they graduate from baby to toddler to preschooler. Parents must often make the difficult choice to stand back, watching trial and error take its course.

While giving them a certain degree of freedom is perfectly normal, there are some obvious areas in life where children should not be trusted to do exclusively for themselves. One of these areas is dental hygiene. When it comes time for tooth brushing, they naturally prefer to do the job on their own, resisting the intrusion of a brush stuck into their mouth. However, children are not physically or mentally equipped to be trusted with their own dental destiny, and even the most hands-off adults must recognize that tooth brushing is no job for a kid.

From the day they first appear, children's teeth are faced with the same insidious enemies as adult teeth. Nature has not armed them with any special immunities, which is why parents must make brushing at least a twice-daily routine. Because it is a commitment that is thankless, laborious and at times downright difficult, parents must be motivated by the reality that the consequences of not brushing are far worse than the struggle the activity presents. Moreover, they should not be lulled into the false notion that just because their child is able to move the brush back and forth against their teeth that actual brushing is taking place.

The commitment is long term, often lasting roughly until the child is able to tie his own shoes. Unlike other milestones of independence, like potty training or walking, there is no "graduation" where they perform the act once to enthusiastic applause. Tooth brushing can only be called a labor of love that lasts for as long as it takes.

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