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Original poster

How do I get my 2 year old brush her teeth

72 replies

BrownBearr · 21/07/2024 14:56

Please help.

My two year old daughter is stubborn, getting her do things is a challenge in who outsmarts who.

Brushing teeth is one where she is definitely winning at the moment.

we tried brush teeth song and it worked for a while but no more

we tried sticker chart and well, doesn’t quite work either (much)

I tried to explain why it’s important but well, too young for that.

Tried to say once you brush your teeth you can do X, ended up not doing X at all as she’d rather not do that than brushes her teeth…

I need tips from you smart people. How do I outwit my two year (and 4 months) old. I’m not going to physically force her….

OP posts:
WonderingWanda · 21/07/2024 16:14

What would you do if she wanted to run into a busy road? I assume you wouldn't just let her.

Merryoldgoat · 21/07/2024 16:19

My son is autistic and resisted a lot. We just did it. At first it was firm holding but now he just opens and lets me brush them. Routine and habit.

TreeShrugger · 21/07/2024 16:21

The Hey Duggie toothbrushing song and getting her a kids electric toothbrush worked for us.

Elsvieta · 21/07/2024 16:21

Lock the bathroom door and say "It's time to brush your teeth now". No other words come out of your mouth, and the door doesn't open, until it's done.

LashingsOfLemonCurd · 21/07/2024 16:24

menopausalmare · 21/07/2024 16:10

Lie her on her back and clamp her head between your thighs. Works a dream.

Yep - especially swaddled in a towel!

BookArt · 21/07/2024 16:26

Strawberry flavoured toothpaste.
Giving them the toothbrush when sitting at the dining table to normalise it.
While I'm brushing my teeth I let her brush her... Sucked on it like a lolly pop haha!
Then playing games with no toothbrush in sight saying 'aaahhhhh' and who can say it for the longest. We say singing a song, it's loud and I will say 'oh my goodness that is so loud, shhhh'. While giggling. Then introduced the toothbrush to the game and eventually she didn't even need to be loud she now sits and does it.
Oh I sit my two on the kitchen side to do teeth. They can't run away, and they love it... 😂😂 Yes we now brush our teeth in the kitchen but if it works then it works.
I underatabd the struggles with a determined two year old!

OurFlagMeansAfternoonTea · 21/07/2024 16:27

I was still brushing my children's teeth at this age. Even if they are willing to do it themselves at the age of 2 they won't do a very good job.

FrogNToad · 21/07/2024 16:31

Show her pictures of tooth decay on Google images and explain how painful it is and that the dentist will have to pull them out.

18daychallenge · 21/07/2024 16:31

I’m a paediatric dentist. The thing is, she’s 2 and I’m going to be blunt. 2 year olds do lots of things they shouldn’t and vice versa.

If she refused to have her vaccinations, would you have said ‘I’m not going to force her?.

You need to force her. Just a quick scrub in the AM and PM will be fine. Get a finger guard or a little toothbrush to prop her teeth apart so you can get the brush in. If you have to force her mouth open, then you have to. It will be much less painful and more pleasant than a general anaesthetic and a mouthful of extractions.

18daychallenge · 21/07/2024 16:33

And I’m not sure whether you want her to be brushing them herself at the age of 2?! Can she tie shoelaces or put her hair up in a bobble? Unlikely. You need to be brushing them until the age of 7 at least. X

AtrociousCircumstance · 21/07/2024 16:37

Yes, good point: would you physically restrain her if she tried to run into traffic?

Would you physically restrain her if she was about to go off with a stranger?

Or if she was about to eat poisonous mushrooms?

Tooth brushing is non negotiable.

Motherrr · 21/07/2024 16:38

When ours were around 2 or a bit younger we had to force them. It was horrible, I hated it, we had to pin them down and they screamed and cried and I wondered if it was worth it and if they would be traumatised forever etc.

Now they are over 2.5 it's no problem, they have eventually learned that keeping still is best, and open their mouth wide! Lots of praise. I also sing nursery rhymes really fast whilst brushing to make them laugh and open their mouth

You just have to be persistent, it does get better! But if you don't make them do it now you will have worse battles later on

GoldMerchant · 21/07/2024 16:39

I don't understand, "I'm not going to physically force them"?

I physically forced my toddlers to do loads of stuff they didn't want to do! I didn't hurt them, but I put them into pushchair, held them down for jabs, grabbed them to change nappies when they ran away, held wrists to stop them running away. She's too young for lengthy explanations or even bribery. Wrap her in a towel, put the toothbrush in her mouth. Lots of praise once it's done.

TheHuntSyndicate · 21/07/2024 16:43

Get her to choose (from a selection) of pretty toothbrushes.

My children loved this video -

%3D

Apologies if it makes you want to scream! 😂

Richtea67 · 21/07/2024 16:43

We tried absolutely everything...and I mean all the songs, videos, brushing teddy's teeth...nothing worked. We have to pin her down and do it. It's really not that awful and she's used to it now. It has to be done, don't be afraid to pin her down if you've tried absolutely every trick in the book!

sanityisamyth · 21/07/2024 16:43

Simbaonedaythiswillallbeyours · 21/07/2024 15:03

Teeth brushing is non-negotiable. Wrap her in a towel with her arms pinned to her sides, stand her between your legs and brush while she screams.

Eventually, she'll learn that allowing it to be done nicely or doing it herself (with help) is better.

This.

Thatsfrenchforstopahorse · 21/07/2024 16:46

It’s a moot point if you’re not going to physically force it but in my eyes toothbrushing is like car seats - non-negotiable.

I wouldn’t coax my child into the car and then give up if they wouldn’t go in, I’d bloody well get those straps on, so it’s the same approach for me.

protectoroftherealm · 21/07/2024 16:46

I'm sorry but if it's a choice between allowing my child to develop poor dental hygiene and cavities and terrible teeth for the rest of their lives or physically forcing them to have their teeth brushed then I'm choosing option 2.

bakewellbride · 21/07/2024 16:47

You can try all of the different ideas on this thread op but if they don't work then it is your duty as a parent to 'physically force her'. It's a non-optional part of a child's basic care

Shelby2010 · 21/07/2024 16:53

3 different coloured toothbrushes - she chooses which one to use.

Hunting for animals in her mouth (or anything else!) ‘wow! There’s a lion hiding behind this tooth! Roarrr! Can you hear it?! Let’s see what else there is!’

I have also resorted to wrapping in a towel tho….!

longdistanceclaraclara · 21/07/2024 16:56

Pin her arms by her side. Brush teeth. If she screams she screams. She'll get over it.

PinkKindle · 21/07/2024 16:59

My little boy is that age and also can be stubborn and sometimes want to refuse it. I get him to “show me big shark teeth” then brush a bit then “show me crocodile/lion/insert sharp toothed animal here” over and over, so that he opens wide enough each time to let me get a good brush at them, then once I’m satisfied I’ve brushed enough I say it’s his turn and let him have a go too

Excited101 · 21/07/2024 17:00

Stop trying to ‘convince’ her- teeth brushing should never be a debate or a choice, you just need to do them. You’re massively muddying the waters by letting her think she can decide if she does it or not.

Muffin101 · 21/07/2024 17:01

You just have to be consistent. It really doesn’t matter a fuck if they don’t want to brush their teeth, they absolutely must. It is a non-negotiable as has been said many times on this thread. My son went through a hey duggee toothbrushing video phase, one where I would brush his teeth which he brushed mine, one where I had to sing certain songs etc and he now just accepts it. I’ve had to pin him down to do it before and I don’t feel remotely bad about that.

Genevieva · 21/07/2024 17:02

I used to our my daughter on my knee, hold her forehead against me with one hand, instruct her to open her mouth and clean her teeth with my other hand. No choice.

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