The early years are full of parent-child battles: getting your little one to put on (or take off) clothes, encouraging them to please eat those vegetables and telling them they really do have to stay in the shopping cart despite their overwhelming desire to run the aisles. Let's not forget tooth brushing, which for many parents is no exception to the list of things young children sometimes flat out refuse to do.

"We're working on that right now," says Chris Sofge, mother of 4-year-old Eva and 2-year-old Henry. "Eva actually does pretty good. Henry, not so good, but he's learning. We try to get Henry to let us help him – so his teeth actually get brushed – but he is refusing big time right now."

What seems to have worked best for the Sofges of Crownsville, Md., is to make proper oral hygiene a family affair.

"The best way for our kids has been to brush our teeth with them," she says. "We model good tooth brushing and make it something we all do together at the same times every day, so it's a routine. It helps to exaggerate the movements so they learn how to do it, and talk to them about how to brush teeth and why it is important."

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.