Any parent whose toddler has clamped his mouth shut tightly during tooth-brushing time knows that enforcing good dental hygiene can spark a daily war of wills. Moms and dads, don't let tooth brushing become a battleground in your house! Step up to the challenge and learn some great tricks to set your child on his way to good dental care habits and a healthy smile!

They're Just Baby Teeth

Even though it's true that your child's primary, or "baby," teeth are eventually going to fall out, it's still crucial that parents and kids practice good dental habits from early on. Baby teeth help your child speak clearly and chew food. They also hold the space in a child's jaw so that the permanent teeth developing under the gums can grow in straight.

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that once a child's teeth appear, parents clean them twice a day with a soft, child-sized toothbrush. While using damp gauze or a soft wet cloth works well on baby's sensitive gums, a toothbrush is going to do a better job on a toddler's teeth, which are now closer together and more likely to have plaque—the soft, sticky, bacteria-containing deposits that accumulate on the teeth and cause decay. So what's the trick to getting toddlers to let you brush their pearly whites?