BBC NEWS | Health | Many children 'brush teeth alone'

BBC NEWS | Health | Many children 'brush teeth alone'

As Lucy's first teeth are only just showing signs of imminent arrival, this has little relevance to her. But Oliver brushes his teeth every evening and Hayley is about to start him brushing in the mornings too.

In the evening he starts the brushing off and I tend to brush mine at the same time as an encouragement. When I have finished I ask whether I can now brush his teeth. "Not yet," he replies. "In a minute". This is repeated a couple of times before he lets me have a go. He really is pretty good about it. I don't know whether we manage two whole minutes though. Maybe as he gets older we can extend it.