DS (2.9) hates getting his teeth cleaned. It's a total battle and we're lucky if we get them done once a day. I have tried very hard to be relaxed about it, let him try, try and assist him, sing songs, do it together, look in mirrors, make animal noises, let teddy brush them etc. But it's not working. So short of pinning him down and clamping open his mouth I'm not sure what to do.

If I try and he doesn't want them done it's a kicking and screaming match and he just bites the toothbrush.

Suggestions?

No help to you but I find dd2 (2.6) will happily let dd1 (5) brush her teeth when she won't let me or dh do it.

Neither of mine liked having their teeth brushed so I just handed them their toothbrushes with the paste on it and let them get on with it. DD1 now asks for either me or dh to brush her teeth.

So far the dentist has said they are both fine.

Have you tried a different flavour toothpaste. dd1 absolutely hates the taste of some of them and won't use it if it is too 'minty'.

We've tried most flavours and even doing it without toothpaste. He used to have a good chew on the toothbrush himself but nowadays he insists on doing it himself, holds the brush 3 inches from his face and wiggles it around. I've told him it has to be in his mouth to count...

can you make a big thing of it for him, say now that he's a big boy, he must choose his own toothbrush and toothpaste and take him shopping and let him pick out his own, see if that makes a difference?

And I thought my two were bad!!

Will he do it for his grandparents or another relative?
Would a dentist asking him to brush his teeth or showing him how to do it help?
Does he go to a nursery or anything as my dd's nursery went to a special show on teeth and healthy eating and she rpoudly told me that if you didn't bruch your teeth they go yellow then black and then fall out!!
(That didn't actually help as I had to explain to her that they wouldn't go pink or purple before going black)

I find that my two often respond better to another adult asking them to do something rather than me.

Sorry if none of these help I'm just trying to throw out random ideas.

It is really tough when you know your day holds two torture sessions no matter what you do. (we can move onto hairbrushing next if you like!)

What's your stance on bribery? Works with my 2yr old... obviously not chocolate or the like but a quick flash of cbeebies or something??

Have you tried letting him clean your teeth first? Sometimes that works too (and hurts) you could try and do yours and his together.

I think most toddlers put up a fight so at least you are normal! Good luck.

make him a sticker chart thats what I did for ds as he was the same..now he is 4.6 and is constantly brushing his teeth..bit obsessionally so...lol

my ds 22months is a nightmare at tooth brushing
he kicks ,he screams
he squirms
and generally goes mental,i hate to think what my neighbours must think,he sounds like hes being tortured!!!
but im determined that he will not get his own way,they need to be cleaned
END OFF

DS used to be like this too (he is 2.9) now toth brushing is the last game beofre bed time.

I ask him who he wants to brush tonight, he says "trains" "cars" "friends" etc then willingly opens his mouth wide and lets me brush properly as long as I keep a running commentry of "here I am brushing, Thomas now, he's at the bottom at the back, oh look here's Gordon he's upstairs, let's get Percy at the front" etc etc. He will actually ask me to keep going if I miss anyone out (including some of the more obscure ones like Freddie Mac?) and so on.

definintely worth a try as I had tried many, many other techniques without sucees but have used this for several months now and just update when ever a new "best thing" comes on the scene!

My 2.5yo daughter used to be quite bad about wanting her teeth cleaned, but eventually she started allowing me to do it...provided she gets a shot of doing them all by herself afterwards. So not too much of a problem now. However, my 14mo son just clamps his mouth shut and it's nearly impossible to get in! lol

Thanks for the suggestions. He isn't at the dentist again until August but I'll ask the dentist to but the fear in him. Bribery and reward charts don't work for him - he's FAR too stubborn a bit like his dad. We were managing reasonably well at one point when we were doing it to the cbeebies teeth brushing song. And also when he got a shot of our toothbrush timer (2 mins brushing and you get a smiley) but all of those have worn off.

I might try the Thomas approach next... though I'll have to sit next to his poster or I'll never remember any!

Thanks for the suggestions. He isn't at the dentist again until August but I'll ask the dentist to but the fear in him. Bribery and reward charts don't work for him - he's FAR too stubborn a bit like his dad. We were managing reasonably well at one point when we were doing it to the cbeebies teeth brushing song. And also when he got a shot of our toothbrush timer (2 mins brushing and you get a smiley) but all of those have worn off.

I might try the Thomas approach next... though I'll have to sit next to his poster or I'll never remember any!