Molar Mayhem

[conuly]

Dear Annie: Recently, I stayed with my niece and nephew while my brother and his wife took a trip. This seems like a trivial problem, but I know it can lead to serious health issues in the long run. Neither of my brother's teenaged kids brushed their teeth regularly. I reminded them often, but they found ways to wiggle out of it. One was even running the electric toothbrush outside of his mouth -- so I would think he was brushing his teeth. When I went into the bathroom afterward, the electric toothbrush was bone dry. His sister later told me about that trick.

I asked my brother about this, and he said they've tried for years to get the kids to brush their teeth more consistently. They gave them excellent electric toothbrushes and set a great example of brushing at least twice a day themselves. If they try to watch the kids brushing, it turns into a huge fight every time. They've spent hundreds of dollars on dental care as a result. They're at a loss as to what to do. The kids understand it's important but just don't care enough to change their habits. Of course, they do not realize the long-term damage they may be doing, including dangers of infection and disease.

Anything I can do to help them? We're very close, so my brother and his wife would not see it as butting in. They'd welcome a solution. -- Brushless in Baton Rouge

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