Every Tuesday, TriangleMom2Mom's expert panel fields your questions about your kid's health, your health and related issues.

If you have a question, let me know. Please note that we're getting a lot of questions and it can take a few weeks to get an answer.

Today, Jessica Lee, associate professor in the department of pediatric dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, fields this question about a preschooler who won't brush his own teeth.

The question: My son, 3, can brush his own teeth, but he doesn't want to. He only wants me or his father to do it. Should I be encouraging him to do it on his own? Or should I be happy that he's letting me do it (since I do a better job)? At what point should he be doing it on his own?

The answer: Most three-year-old children CANNOT brush adequately on their own. We ask parents to help their children until they are at least six years of age. So parents helping at this age is a very good thing.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!