2 Year Old Wanting to Brush Only Front Teeth

When my kids started brushing their teeth they did the same thing, they usually sucked off the paste, and so I let them do the front teeth and when they were finished I brushed the back teeth so they didn't stay un brushed. Maybe I was doing too much for them, but out of 8 kids none, NONE, ever had cavities until in their 30's and only two so far have had them. I doubt it was from me brushing their teeth but I do think they should be brushed and free of cavity causing food and germs. Just my opinion though.

1 mom found this helpful

I have this same problem with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I finally bought her one of those 'mechanical' toothbrushes with the spinning heads. I figured at least this way the bristles were moving over hear teeth as she was sucking off the toothpaste. I've also heard not to push it at this age also. Having said that, I do try to make sure to get all the gunk off her teeth before bedtime. Not always easy though. Sometimes she will let me have a turn brushing her teeth for her and other times she won't.

We've tried the one where you look for "things" in his mouth (my youngest is 2, also), some nights I let him brush then mommy or daddy gets the "ones he missed", but I will admit that some nights I just have to hold him and brush quickly to get it done. Z has already had a couple of cavities (the dentist said it's not dental hygiene...it's just how his teeth are made) so we HAVE to brush twice a day, regardless of whether he wants to or not. I fully believe in letting children grow and develop on their own, but sometimes mom still has to be mom. When we do have those "bad nights" we always have a little more cuddling and book reading before bed to compensate. I don't want him to not feel in control of his own body, but it's my job as mom to make sure his teeth don't rot out. It's a phase...they grow out of it. My 7 year old wanted to brush his teeth all the time when he was about 3, and still does great! Hang in there...this too will pass... ;-)

What kinds of things does he like? Dinosaurs? Super Heroes? I've done this: "Oh, let me see in there -- I need to brush Spiderman! He's in your mouth! Let me brush him so he's clean!" My kids would usually start to laugh at this because it's so silly, but they would open up for me. When that wears out, try, "Oh, now let's see who's in there! It's a fireman with a big red firetruck! Let's brush that truck!" Good luck.

His behavior sounds normal, just make sure you do what you need to in order to get his teeth clean. I will sit down and put my sons head in my lap and brush his teeth thoroughly and then I let him brush them until I'm done brushing my own. The dentist recommended getting an oral b electric toothbrush and getting your child used to the feel of it so that later on as he learns how to move the brush around more he'll have an easier time getting his teeth really clean.
Good luck!

First of all I don't think your problem is unusual, 2 yr olds tend to be independent with a lot of things. Have you tried calling your dentist for suggestions? I know there is some stuff you can use that you swish in your mouth and shows where you still have plaque...only thing is, he might want to drink it. You could try the scare tactic and tell him there are "bugs" or "germs" growing on his back teeth if he doesn't brush them. This may scare him though. I'm sure that his breath is lovely, perhaps tell him you'll let him have a (small) piece of sugarless gum if he brushes the back teeth. I'm all about bribery.
Good luck!

I have been having a hard time getting my also 2 year old son to cooperate, he likes to "chew" on his tooth brush. What has worked "a little" for me is I let him have a tooth brush and I get a tooth brush that are both toddler sized, we take turns, this has helped a bit. He has a couple of tooth brushes that I finally begrudgingly let him have to chew on. Also what has worked the best is Alex loves bath time so we have been brushing teeth in the bath tub...not my first choice but that is where he is most accomidating. I will be excited to read other moms solution to this situation as well = ) Lots of luck I think as with all things persistance and routine are key! = )
B.

We have the same problem with our 2.5 year old daughter. We've tried the yummy toothpaste, us brushing then her brushing, games, songs, etc. One thing that I've noticed is that she associates the evening teethbrushing with going to bed, so we've moved it up and do it right after dinner. That has helped some. In a desperate moment I resorted to telling her that her teeth will fall out if she doesn't brush. This scared her because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to talk anymore. =D Anyway... it seems to work for now, so I don't feel too terrible about it.

Could he be getting his 2 year molars? We had a LOT of trouble getting her to brush while she was teething. In fact, I think that's when it all started.

Good Morning B., What my daughter in law does with the boys, is she bought Corbin a toothbrush with a light up
blinking minute timer on it. When it stops blinking the minute of brushing time is up. He can do the front pretty well and does the back ok. Zane she still brushes his teeth for him still. They both brush their teeth in the morning and part of the bath time night routine.
All kid-os love sucking off the toothpaste, I think it is in their job description, Under fun tasty things. We didn't get all the yummy flavors growing up, if it didn't sting your lips and tongue while brushing it wasn't any good...lol

Just keep trying to get him to brush in his own way, then tell him Mama is going to make sure he did the Great job she saw him do, and do touch up's.

Keep it up B., your doing well!
K. Nana of 5

I had the same problems with my now 7 and 5 year old. It will get better!

What worked for us was having a "consultation" which was free with a pediatric dentist. He counted their teeth, talked just a little bit about brushing, but the thing that closed the deal was watching a dvd of a monkey brushing their teeth the right way while in the office. My kids got to pick out treasures from the treasure chest there with the promise of good brushing. It might be worth a shot!

Cool new toothbrushes, fun character toothpaste...rewards... or make it into a game or competition (kids really respond to that stuff).

If nothing works, you'll have to put your foot down and be Mean Mommy. Also, switch to fluoride toothpaste as soon as possible. I believe I used the toddler Xylitol stuff for way too long with my first child and by the time he was three yrs old he needed 2 crowns and had 3 other cavities on top of that!! Two of his molars were so badly gone the only solution was expensive crowns! It was a dental-work nightmare that took 4 appointments to settle. My second child had no such trouble and since we switched to fluoride, my oldest has been cavity free.

YOU should be doing the brushing for sure at this age - and for much longer too. Believe me, you will end up with serious tooth decay if you don't brush well and use fluoride.

I also have a little boy who is almost two. On my last visit to the dentist, I was tellling the hygenist about my little man brushing his teeth and not getting all of them but really trying hard and atleast showing interest. Then, I asked at about what age should i start bringing him in. She told me that they usually start seeing little boys between the ages of 2 and 3...which at that time he was only 1-1/2 so i thought that was a long time to wait. I know he doesnt brush very good but she didnt seem too worried about it at the time. She gave me a new toothbrush for him and told me to show him when i brushed my teeth to get in the back and on the top but not to really force the issue so to speak at his age. I know as a first time mom myself, we try to make sure to teach them every thing we can and take care of them the best we can but maybe sometimes we just worry too much!!! Call your dentist if you are really worried and ask what he/she thinks.Good luck....I am still working on getting the "binky" away from him!!!

My daughter is 23 months old and pretty much just sucks off the toothpaste and occasionally will brush all around her teeth. I've taught her to do "eeeee" which means she brushes the fronts then "ahhhh" and she brushes the tops/backs of teeth but mostly she'll just suck on the toothbrush and sometimes if I do it with her, she'll brush more vigourously. I think at this point, it's getting them used to the idea that they should brush which is important. She will, however, brush her tongue when I ask her to. Sometimes I'll take the toothbrush and show her how to do it (taking like 1-2 seconds because that is all she'll let me do). She also 'spits' into the sink like I do!!!

Hi B.!

From my experience, this is totally normal!! Both my boys sucked on toothpaste from ages 2-3!! Sometimes I just had to accept they were doing a mediocre job and remind myself they were baby teeth!

However, one thing that may help is finding a special toothbrush. I started with the ones that play music (Thomas etc.) but then at Walgreen's I found the best! They're clear and shaped like Crayola crayons that light up! They have a button on the bottom you push and they flash, each in a different color! They have to brush for as long as the light flashes (about 90 sec) and if they're doing a good job, towards the end, I turn off the lights so they can watch them in the dark. :}

There's also a suction cup at the end, so the brush is stored upright on the counter. My son remarks on it everytime he's in the bathroom and I use the opportunity to talk about how we brush our teeth and the toothpaste needs to go on the teeth. Hope that helps!

Best of luck,
S.

B.,
This is normal, I have 3 children they all have grown up but they all wanted to suck that toothpaste off that brush. Keep trying, they will eventually get the message. But isn't it cute. Good luck!

Hey B.,

I use to be a dental assistant for 12 years before I decided to quit and work from home. My suggestion would be to try either not using toothpaste at first and just brushing the back teeth and then putting the toothpaste on and letting him or you do the front ones. The toothpaste that your using doesn't have fluoride or anything in it anyway or it shouldn't unless he's spitting it out really well so the important thing is just getting all the food off of the teeth. If you haven't you could also try having him open like an alligator mouth and show him how wide they open and then just barely kind of using your finger to keep his mouth open while your brushing them real fast. I say just keep trying he will do it. Have you taken him in for a checkup and cleaning appointment yet? That may be another option for you to. Anywhere from the age 2-3 is a good time to take them in for at least "A Happy Visit" so they can at least get use to it a little and they may be able to get him to do it too. I would recommend a pediatric dentist though since he's not wanting to open, they are a little more patient with little ones and can get them to cooperate a little easier. If you need some names of some good ones in your area let me know and I will see what I can come up with. Good luck!!

T. Cogan
Work At Home United
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"Nothing is difficult to those who have the will." --Dutch Poet's Society

Have you tried the new "electric" or battery operated toothbrushes? They come in all age grops and are wonderful and can make a game out of how much they tickle the mouth-watch and help him it may be hard for him to get his brush turned to fit in the back of his mouth. I mean really watch him and look for what help he needs after all he is still vwery young but it is important to brush-I know I dodged brushing what I didn't want to at an early age and now i am paying for it! Good luck-and try everything.