to start 'cracking down' on toothbrushing at the age of 2?

[Bellyrub1980]

For my daughter's 2nd birthday I'm going to try and make brushing her teeth more of a routine morning/evening thing, rather than waving a toothbrush in her face when she's in the bath.

Obviously she's really young so I've bought her a second hand Barbie vanity mirror and will create a toothbrushing station with lots of different brushes and an egg timer and maybe a reward chart. Maybe even find a you tube video of peppa pig brushing her teeth or something.

Anyhoo, my head this seems like a really good idea. The kind of 'enthusiastic mum' stuff you see on Pinterest. But after yet ANOTHER failed attempt at brushing her teeth tonight I'm wondering, is she too young to start cracking down on this? We've let her chew and suck on a toothbrush ever since her first tooth, but she won't let me brush them for her (unless I sedate her/restrain her!!) and whilst she will make a cursory attempt to brush them herself, she is far more interested in doing the exact opposite of what I ask her to do.

So.... when did you start really working on a morn/eve toothbrushing rountine? And do reward charts work for just turned 2 year olds??

[DerekSprechenZeDick]

Don't go overboard. She's 2. Just chuck her a toothbrush at the Same time each night so she gets used to it

[paxillin]

I started with the first tooth. Bit of a battle around the age of 2.5, but ok before and since. Otherwise, no sweets, juice or cereals ever was the deal.

[DesignedForLife]

Sounds like a dull birthday party.

Just keep trying to brush her teeth morning and night. DD is just turned two, and singing a song helps (this is the way we brush our teeth, to tune of here we go round the mulberry bush). Works better some days than others. If she's being really stubborn I give her my toothbrush and get her to brush my teeth. She loves it.

[Bellyrub1980]

Paxillin, that's something we've started to do. Trying to forge a connection in her brain between choc = toothbrush
no toothbrush = no choc

But this is a girl who will look you square in the eye and spit yoghurt out all over your face, and then laugh when you tell her that it was very very naughty.

(That's just one example!)

[Bellyrub1980]

Lol... I promise the whole day won't centre around brushing her teeth!

[Whatsername17]

I think you should persevere. Aqua fresh do an app for little kids and my dd absolutely loved it. They brush their teeth to the app then earn points to dress the toothpaste man up.

[TickledOnion]

I think you're being too nice. I used to pin mine down and refuse to let them go until I got a brush in. They would scream but they had to open their mouths to do it.
I know I sound horrible but it didn't take them long to realise that it would be over quicker if they let me do it. Once we were in a routine I did songs and sticker charts and it was all much nicer.

[GloveBug]

Yep the apps are good. Rewards such as stickers etc. Preserver with it

[DesignedForLife]

But this is a girl who will look you square in the eye and spit yoghurt out all over your face, and then laugh when you tell her that it was very very naughty.

Nice to know it's not only us dealing with that. Yogurt is banned at the moment. Can't ban drinks though :(

[TwigletsMakeMeViolent]

I did what Tickled did. Or rather, I'd say "shall we do this the nice way, or the not-nice way?" After one or two false starts they always chose the nice way and now everyone's happy!

[OwlinaTree]

Do what you think will work for her. Good luck!

[foxessocks]

Since my dds first tooth we have done teeth morning and night and it's non negotiable. She went through a stage of hating it but we just pinned her down and did it anyway...gently of course! Now she is2.5 she knows we have to do it. She occasionally says she doesn't want to but that's tough!

[GlitterBox]

I'm a dental nurse so good tooth brushing is none negotiable in our house. I've tried every nice and not so nice trick in the book to get them brushed and sometimes had to resort to pinning them down.

[HeyOverHere]

But this is a girl who will look you square in the eye and spit yoghurt out all over your face, and then laugh when you tell her that it was very very naughty.

I sense issues bigger than just tooth brushing. o.O (NOT criticizing you at all, kids are hard!)

[pinkiponk]

Our dentist said that we had to brush DS' teeth properly (which we were fortunately). She said from first teeth to age of 7 they should be brushed Properly by an adult.
I've found that making it a non negotiation has meant he now expects it and happily sits there and opens his mouth. This was after a week of struggle, I just didn't give in and said we'd sit there as long as we needed to (and I did).

I felt quite bad at first, but it's about him not losing his teeth and having cavities, which I'm sure would make me feel worse.

[Longlost10]

let her spot you doing yours every day, make it seem like a big grown up thing to do

[popthisoneout]

It non negotiable in our house too. DS hated it at first but soon became ok with it and it's been part of the routine from early on. No way would I let a two year old have her Ian way with something that can negatively effect their health.

[AmeliaJack]

Teeth brushing totally non negotiable in this house too from their first teeth at 5 month old. So yes we did pin them down to get it done.

Gently and appropriately restraining a child for the few weeks it takes them to get the idea is considerably better than the child undergoing surgery to have rotten teeth pulled aged 5.

[Cheby]

Tooth brushing absolutely non negotiable in this house too, has been since teeth first appeared. And the rest of the time I am a 'gentle/AP' type parent. But tooth brushing simply happens whether she likes it or not.

My teeth are shit. I've been through decades of agony and thousands of pounds in costs. DD's cousins teeth were mostly rotted by age 4. There is no fucking way I am risking any of that for DD. It's too important.

[Poptart27]

Brushing and flossing are also non-negotiable here. I have 3, ds being the youngest and just turned 2. I had to persevere for a few days but now he lets me brush his teeth AND floss I floss his teeth because the dentist had a fit when I told her I wasn't

[Superstar90]

Use an electric toothbrush - the 'brush baby' one is brill - it has a light to make it 'fun' and times two minutes you can say you've got to keep going until it stops.

[ConvincingLiar]

I have enforced teeth cleaning since the start, the grown up is in charge of the toothbrush. I probably forget a couple of times a week, no idea why.

[cornishglos]

Just clean her teeth. Don't make such a big deal of it.

[eurochick]

Does she like peppa pig? We found the dentist episode helpful. We ask her to open wide and say "aaaa" like Peppa. We also sing silly "aaaa" sounds at her while we brush.

[Namechangenurseryconcerns]

Non negotiable here too. In the past I've used a song or made it into a game by pretending to spot what they'd eaten that day but if they weren't playing along I'd pin them down my reasoning being that it was better for me to do it now than a dentist to have to do it later.