Brushing Toddlers Teeth

Buy one of the new music ones target sells a cheaper carebears and thomas the train ones for only about $4 verses the big $10 and they are perfect little size my 5year old son loves to brush his teeth now and dance to thomas the other day he brushed 4 times to listen. I'm not complaining.
i hope this helps

My husband and I make up songs about brushing teeth during the time our son is brushing his teeth. We use a familiar tune from a tv show he likes or any other song he might know. For example row row row your boat we say brush brush brush your teeth. It sounds kinda of corny but it usually works. I hope this helps. I know how difficult it can be to fight a toddler.

We had the same problem at about the same age with my boys. I decided to try the spinning toothbrushes (we chose the small head Sesame Street version) and they've both done a great job! It's worth a try - good luck!

I have a 26 month old who does the same thing. I found that if I let him have a turn brushing his teeth, he cooperates more. Also, I quit asking him to open his mouth. I set him in my lap and lay him backwards and he thinks that's funny, laughs, and voila, he has an open mouth. Still works sometimes when I am desperate! Good luck.

The important thing at this age is exposure, not how well she brushes her teeth. Let her do it on her own and on her own terms. She's getting to be that age. We got our son a toothbrush that plays music for 2 minutes. When he was a little younger I would sing the Raffi "Brush You Teeth" song and I'd brush for the first two versus and he'd brush for the last 2 or 3. We also let him brush his teeth in the bathtub for a change or on the potty or while I read a book. Really praise her when she brushes and brush your teeth at the same time. Model how to brush and say, "You can brush your teeth by yourself, just like Mommy," and "Now brush on this side," and "Don't forget to get these teeth over here or they might get jealous." I know it's silly, but you have to make the important things fun and not a chore. Good luck!

Try a wet washcloth while she is taking a bath. If she doesn't enjoy her baths, then try it when she isn't taking one.

I'm sure what kind of brush your using with her but the fun ones that are batterie powered or that play song while you brush worked great for my kids.

Maybe a different kind of toothpaste or gel would help as well? DS hated having his teeth brushed, but we switched his toothgel (we use Melaleuca now), and he LOVES it. It's a different flavor than most brands are - his is Green Apple, but they also have Berry. Plus it's sweetened with xylitol which has been shown to really help reduce decay, so I don't worry quite so much about brushing "perfectly" anymore. Brushing his teeth got SO much easier. I also found it easier once we switched his toothbrush to one with a MUCH smaller head. Email me at ____@____.com if you want the info about the tooth gel.

This was a tough age for us too. My DS was very independent. The thing that saved us was variety, no single method worked for more than a week or so.

Ideas: electric toothbrush (but sometimes the vibration was too tickly for him),

different character toothbrushes (with these I would tell a story, for example, "Winnie-the-Pooh is looking for honey and wants to climb up the tree to look in the honey spot", i.e. his mouth, or "Dora is going on an adventure and wants to look for Swiper in the cave"),

playing dentist where he brushes my teeth then I brush his,

laying on my lap,

and other nights just letting him brush the best he could.

Get him an automatic toothbrush. It's great because you can get the job done quicker and only have to move it slowly around the teeth. You might have bumped a gum or something and now he's afraid of it.
Also with the electronic ones they can help and love it.
J.

My daughter was born at the end of Sept. 2006 and I cradle her head and put the brush in there an do my thing. She cries but what else can I do? I'm in the same boat as you. I say you can do it the easy way or hard way. I did that with my oldest when she was this age and eventually she caught on that if she just cooperates she won't be restrained and she won't hear my stern voice or sometimes the prying of her jaw to get the brush in there. I feel my 2006 child is too young to brush herself but when my oldest was 2 we let her do it and told her that we'd finish up. It worked well. Good luck to ya:) I hope you find something that works well.

i just asked my ped about this. she suggested laying him with his feet at my waist and then his head is back/mouth has to be open. this works is his dad does it but he still won't let me in there. go figure.

I let my daughter brush my teeth, then I brush hers. This works for us...sometimes (She's a stubborn one too.) She always lets Dad and Grandma brush her teeth but fights mom. Go figure. I also have her brush her favorite stuffed animals teeth first then she says, OK My turn! then we do hers. If it's a really bad night, I bribe her and say she won't get a story if she doesn't brush. That works every time. Good luck!

Try getting her to open her mouth and you can see either people or cartoon characters in there and you need to brush them out. "OH! I see DORA! How did she get in there?! We better brush her out!!" "Oh my Goodness! It's Scooby!! Get him outta there!"
It seemed to work with my stubborn ones. Good luck!