Suggestions for Making Brushing Teeth 'Fun'?!

What will work depends on the kid, so you'll have to give all these ideas a test run!

With my oldest, what worked was counting. Seeing if she could keep her mouth open all the way to 10. Then lots of high fives and cheers when she did it.

With my youngest, what (FINALLY) worked was having her sister show her how to do it.

With both (especially the younger VERY independent one), it also helps to let them do it on their own first and then I "check" (and do the actual brushing) after they have "brushed" themselves.

those tooth brushes that flash are fun and work great! you can get them cheap at most dollar stores or even walmart I think. Make it a game with the flashing light and she will probably be pretty willing and interested.. at least for a while.

Hi P.,
I used to sing a little "tooth-brushing" song for my son when he was little and not excited about brushing. You can make up your own little song, but mine said something like "Brush, brush, brush, Brush your teeth. Brush brush, brush, Brush your teeth. Brush the North, brush the South. Brush all over your Mouth!" Any peppy, upbeat ditty will do. You want to make it fun. Drop the conversation about how important it is - kids don't care WHY they should do something. When you want them to do something, make it FUN! Also, brushing your own teeth while her she brushes hers helps. Then go over what she's done as a follow up. Also, try nice tasting toothpastes. The mainstream commercial ones are really too spicy or medicine-y - try Tom's of Maine or Jason, which makes a mild, orange flavored one. It's the one I use myself and it is really pleasant and not strong. Good luck!

This is going to sound gross... I know... but it worked. We were having a hard time getting our daughter to open her mouth, even though she would seem excited when it was time to "teeeeeth." We had tried letting her have the toothbrush, making funny faces at one another, talking rationally (?!?) to an 18 month old. None of it changed anything.
One day I decided to brush my teeth at the same time. She was mildly interested in my electronic toothbrush. When I was done, I rinsed it *very* well, turned it off and put it near her mouth. She opened right up. Of course the brush still had a hint of toothpaste minty-ness, but nothing harmful. When I'd used my toothbrush on her for about 15 seconds, I switched to hers and we've been pretty much good since then.
Good luck!

Associate something fun with the activity. Positive reinforcement.

Like, sing a silly song she likes while you brush her teeth. But only sing this song at that time.

If she like pretend, name some of the teeth and make it an adventure. You need to go in there and check on Terry-Tooth. You can talk to them, pretend they are talking to you.

Or, make having a good teeth-brushing event a cause for celebration, dance around and be silly together afterwards. But do not do it if it is a struggle. Look sad or something.

Or, before her, brush her favorite doll's teeth. Make it look fun for the doll.

Good Luck.

Hi P.,

My 21 month was the same way. What I did was to get 2 kids' brushes (one for her and one for me) and would let her brush my teeth. Then I would ask if I could brush hers. She liked being "a big girl" and now is really good about letting me help her brush her teeth. Also try to brush together, she'll learn that it can be fun to brush.

try singing a jingle, the same one everytime. that way when she starts to hear the jingle, it will be fun and familiar! I do it to my son and he just starts smiling and opening his mouth. this is so dumb but here goes " time to brush your teeth, time to brush your teeth, it's time to brush your teeth with the tooth brush"

My 17 month old dreaded brushing her teeth as well. She wouldn't let me brush them for her and she wanted to do it allllll by herself. I figured, ok, I'll just let her play with her brush in her mouth abs then I'll brush them. DIDN'T happen. Lol. So one day I Put her right in the mirror and she loved watching me brush her teeth! She doesn't mind anymore :)

My son has a bunch of bath toys and a special tooth brush for his toys so he sits on my lap and while I am brushing his teeth he brushes his toys teeth. It has been working out great. I also let him pick out the his and his toys tooth brush. Good Luck!

I agree with the singing a song ideas and doing it in front of a mirror. Also, similar to the song, we have a routine with our 28-month old girl where we all make the faces that go along with brushing: eeeeee, oooooooo, ahhhhhh. we make a game out of the different sounds and mouth shapes that eventually give us enough space to brush. i think she likes seeing us doing the faces, too.

My two year old loves when I sing to him when I brush his teeth. I usually make up silly songs about brushing to the tune of songs he already knows. I have also heard letting your child brush your teeth ( with water and no toothpaste) has worked. You let her brush your teeth then you brush hers. That way she feels like she is participating and taking care of you too. Hope that helps!

I second the advice to sing a song - it gets my son to open his mouth and sing, too! A friend of mine in college had a singing toothbrush, so I sing the song from that:

I'm your friend brushy, brushy
I keep your teeth shiny and bright
Please brush with me every day
Morning, noon and night!

Good luck!
K.
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I struggled with this for quite some time with my now 28 month old son as well. I finally found something that works,although it might be just specific to him. At bedtime, I lay him on the bed and pretend to look at his teeth and say something like, 'I think I see Elmo back there'. Or if we've just read a Winnie the Pooh story - 'Is that Pooh's honey back there?' I have no idea why it works but he opens wide and lets me brush away. He even volunteers ideas by pointing to his back teeth and saying 'Tigger back there'. Characters or things from a story you've just read work particularly well. This may be something that only works on him but it's worth a try.

In the morning, we just let him brush his teeth on his own. But in the evening I'm now able to get a good scrub. Good luck.

My dtr loves her colgate electric tooth brush. She and my husband have their little saying, "this is the deal first I brush then you can brush." its an expected routine including flossing as we count teeth and shoo the sugarbugs away.

The one thing that helped with my son was to buy an electric character toothbrush like those by Colgate or OralB. Now he asks to brush his teeth and doesn't like to stop. We still have to brush them too, but at least it's not a screaming fight to do it.

Get one of the toothbrushes that have a flashing light or music that plays for the 2 minutes they are supposed to brush/have their teeth brushed. Then make her a sticker chart.
K.

We have "sugar bugs" in our house too. My 3 year old has been brushing since she was about 18 mos old....but more "effectively" since she was about 2. I let her pick her own tooth brush (regular not electric) and toothpaste (princess of course). We always decide before she begins brushing about how many buggies are we going to find today. Some days she tells me she will get them all, then I check to be sure....other days she lets me find them all. Be a little bit animated/silly when you are looking for them, that will keep her engaged at the task at hand. Thankfully, she loves this and is becoming a good brusher. Also, I typically brush my teeth at the same time to help encourage her...and it becomes a game about who will get done first. Good luck - she will get there!

I let my 26 month old watch a favorite video. It's actually the only time she watches it.

I use a fun Dora electric toothbrush that was $5.99 at Target. She loves that. I also give 1 gummy vitamin after she is done brushing her teeth. She loves the vitamin so she looks forward to that part. Another thing I do is I brush and/or style my girls hair while they are brushing. This distracts them from what I am doing, but also gets them to stay brushing. I take over and do some brushing when I finish their hair.

I would let my son brush his teeth himself and then I would check for "sugar bugs". Sugar bugs are tiny bugs that hide in your teeth. Amazingly there always was one. I would chase that thing around and around and on days he didn't want to let me the sugar bug would escape his mouth and wander around his body and I would tickle him as I chased it.
It probably worked until he was 3.
Good Luck

We've tried everything! At first it was all good, he LOVED the attention and the actions of brushing, but it got old and oh my gosh, it became a fight every single morning, every single night, once he turned three...
Now, I flip on the television. We are pretty strict on this normally so it is a big treat for him. I let him lay down on my bed and allow for him to chose his position and I am "allowed" to brush his teeth, as long as his show is on and he is allowed to watch his show, as long as he behaves and opens his mouth.
He is three and half now and he also brushes himself, but this is my oppertunity to make certain we have a clean mouth.
Good Luck!

An electric toothbrush made the world of difference for us. Make sure it is a very small head.

My daughter was the same way. And I finally just showed her how to spit. And I said now let me brush so u can spit. And it has been working for me. Kinda gross and not very lady like but try if you wish. Good luck :)