It's a Struggle to Brush My Toddler's Teeth

My son hated it too for a long time. I tried a lot of these suggestions (new brush, singing, brushing w/him, etc.) We had to fight for awhile till he realized I was gonna keep doing it. Now he gets to chew on the brush first then I just follow with a good once over. I started saying that I was gonna tickle his teeth and he thought that was funny and cooperated more. I think a lot of kids go through this, just persevere it'll get better.

I had the same problem with my toddler. When I switched to a softer brush he liked it better. I had bought him a "fancy" kids brush that looked like a race car thinking it would help, and the bristles were really rough. So, I went back to the Baby Einsten brush with soft bristles and it seems to work. Try a different brush - you never know if that's all it is!

We had the same problem with my son until we discovered the great novelty of a Thomas (you can find whatever character your son loves!) ELECTRIC toothbrush! Now we have the opposite problem - he wants to brush all the time!

Hi, S.!

We started our toddler out with the "character" toothpastes and even though he doesn't watch television, he loves the animals on the tubes. What we tell our son is that if he wants to hae big strong beaver teeth-like the beaver on the tube-then he needs to let Mommy start him out & then he can finish the job. (And although we have since switched to the Weleda paste-with no animals-he is still motivated by the idea of having strong beaver teeth. :o) It seems simplistic, but it works for us! Hope this helps.

Good luck,
B.

I know tv is bad but I put my 2 yr olds favorite show on(Go Diego Go) and tell her I will turn it off if she doesn't let me brush her teeth. It works wonders! She opens her mouth and lets me brush as long as I want. Before I did this she absolutely REFUSED to brush her teeth.I had to hold her down and that didn't work very well.Good luck!!

Not sure if someone has already said this or not but we use TWO toothbrushes. One for my son to suck off all the toothpaste and one that I use. That way I know his teeth are getting brushed and he still feels like he is grown.

Try to make it as fun as you can. Sing songs, let him play with something while you are doing it. I am a dental hygienist but I know what you are going through. I usually sit my son in my lap facing away from me. I use my right hand to brush and my left arm to restrain his head and arms. Good luck!

S.,
While I am no expert at this - I have a 2 year old that show resistance sometimes, but like o'l faithful -- we are pretty consistant with two times daily -- I am not saying we do it for the recommended 2 mintues I think. But we do - do it twice daily. I guess just keep trying - eventuall they just seem to get it that its part of the routine...and Mommy is in charge on this one.
K.

Hi....i have 2 boys, ages 4 and 2 1/2 yrs...i started them brushing at 1 year of age. try this...make brushing teeth an exciting event....have him go to the store with u and have him pick out his own brush and paste...if you think he will swallow the paste then get him the gerbers toothpaste. and just get him excited about brushing... Brush your teeth in front of him daily, and talk to him about bad germs that live in his mouth....another trick that might work is either use your finger or his finger to srape his top teeth, then have him smell his finger, the stink should get him to brush his teeth! well good luck!!!

Both of my boys refused the toothbrush at that age too! Now they're 2yrs old and my other one is almost 4. They actually love it now. When they were that age I would just have them sit on my lap and have them face me, and then I would tell them to roar like a lion. So they would roar, which would open their mouth wide enough so I could get the toothbrush in! I could never manage to do it for very long, but at least I tried and did a little bit and they eventually got used to it. Just hang in there, he'll get used to it soon!

You can get a toothbrush that fits on your finger like a thimble, it's soft and has rubbery bumps on it. Somewhat like a canine toothbrush. In fact, if you can't find it, go to pets mart!!!
It's not as invasive like sticking a stick (toothbrush) in his/her mouth. Less fearful. And sing the song: this is the way we brush the teeth, brush the teeth...brush the teeth early in the morning. Be consistant and lots of talk. Like we have to get the germs out of mouth etc. Give clear reasons and stick to them. Use a mild tasting toothpaste for babies.

Stay consistant....S.

this works for me for lots of situations: I tell him to "show *insert name here* how you do it" it can be daddy, the dog, grandma, whoever is in the room. show sadie how you eat eggs, show daddy how you brush your teeth, show grandma how you put shoes on........ lol. then lots of "wow ryan!! that's so good!" and amazement at how great of a job he's done.

I'm not sure how much longer I have with this but it sure does work for now! :o)

I think sadie (the dog) is like "ohmygosh are we doing this again? do I really have to sit here?" the look on her face is hilarious. but hey..... whatever it takes.

good luck....

~ t

Hi S.,
I sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” while I brush. That way, he knows what is coming and we brush through 1 verse so that we always have a set amount of time. My 1 year old lights up when I start to sing and my 2 ½ year old still sings while he brushes his own teeth!

Good Luck!
E.

My sister is a dental hygenist and she says the object at that age is just to get the film off. I had the same problem and she said to use a soft washrag and go over there teeth just to get the film off. My daughter is 7 and has not had any cavities. I only did that for a short period, but it worked. Are you using a very small brush and the Oral B toothpaste for infants?

Good luck. I hope that that helps you.

K.

I was at the dentist office and asked my dentist the same question. He said to give him the toothbrush every morning and night and you brush your teeth together. If he won't participate, just give him the brush and let him chew on it. Don't start with toothpaste, just get him used to for a couple of months. if he is chewing on it, do the motions showing him what he is supposed to be doing. As long as he is chewing on it, it is doing more than him refusing it and doing nothing.
My son is 20 months old and I am still not able to do the toothpaste thing yet. Just keep working with him in the morning and at bedtime. He will get used to it.

Same here. Are you using the toddler toothpaste? If so, stop and just use water for a few months. They like the taste too much. It's still a struggle, but I just add it to the list along with changing diapers and turning off the TV!

Hi S.,
He could have some sensory issues. A lot of kids can't stand that feeling. It feels like fingernails on a chlakboard to them. Does he not like certain textures? Or tags in his clothes? Does he have a problem with touching certain things? Try an electric toothbrush or look up sensory issues and what to do to help desensitize them. There are books and you can google "sensory processing"
Hope that helps.
L. ____@____.com

My 19month old does the same thing. I will let her try and then i tell her it's mommies turn. this does not always work. Lately i have started laying her down and it helps alot. Those are some great suggestions by the way ladies, Thanks!

My daughter does this too, she is 2 yrs old. What I do, I let her put a little bit of toothpaste on it and let her brush, suck on it first, then tell her I have to check them when she is done to make sure nothing was left behind. After she is done she lets me check them, she keeps closing and biting down on the brush sometimes but lets me. It's still a struggle sometimes, she won't let me check them, or gets mad cuz I turned the water off. But if I tell her last time it's last time and I shut it off. Good Luck

I had this problem and the solution was to get one of the battery operated toothbrushes with Spiderman or Sponge Bob. My daughter loves the vibrations her Dora toothbrush makes in her mouth when I brush her teeth (she thinks it's a game) and all I have to do is tell her we need to brush her teeth with Dora and she runs for the sink.

I hope this helps!
A.