Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Tooth brushing

12 replies

blueboots · 08/04/2013 19:23

Hello, I am new to Mnet
I am having a battle every morning and evening with my 2 year ds. He will not let me brush his teeth. Every time turns into a fight.
Any tips or advice out there?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Lulututu · 08/04/2013 20:11

My dd is exactly the same...she is 20 months.

We have always brushed from a young age to get her used to it and she used to let me do it after having a chew on the brush herself but we are now going through a phase where she will not let help at all.

The last thing i want to do is force it though and my dentist said also not to force it at this age...

I sometimes sneak a bit of a brush when she is asleep with a dry toothbrush just so she has had some form of teeth brushing.

I will be waiting for any tips on here i've not already tried..lol.

Original poster

blueboots · 09/04/2013 12:57

We have brushed from about 3 months.
This battle has started in the last few weeks. He may have his last molars coming through, don't want to put my finger in to see!! I may try an electric toothbrush to see if this makes it fun!

OP posts:

kw13 · 09/04/2013 13:02

A couple of suggestions (but feel free to ignore!): just do it once a day, make it clear that this is not an option (some things are an option, some things aren't, this is one of the things that isn't), let your child choose a toothbrush (there are some fab ones out there that cover almost all super heroes for example), an electric toothbrush can be good for slightly older children (they need to have reasonable hand grasping to be able to handle it). Make it short, give clear instructions (they must do front and back etc). Take them to the dentist, get the dentist to reinforce your instructions (they won't do anything other than look at their teeth and give them a sticker for attending at this stage - and it's free!). Good luck! I had exactly the same but did force the issue and am glad that I did. He settled down quite quickly as he realized that this was not one of those negotiable things!

Original poster

blueboots · 09/04/2013 13:18

Thank you for the advice kw. I will be toothbrush shopping tomorrow!

OP posts:

BNmum · 09/04/2013 13:23

Try a brush baby toothbrush which cleans while they chew. I would also ask my DS to help me to brush my teeth first, then he would then be keen to show me what a big boy he was and brush his own or let me brush them before we got a brush baby. Now he loves brushing his teeth and let's me go over them with a normal toothbrush every once in a while.
I also got a few different flavour toothpastes and let him choose which one he wants, normally it's the halo and horns strawberry one.

Woolfey · 09/04/2013 13:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BNmum · 09/04/2013 13:43

Woolfey I love the teeth counting idea

rrreow · 09/04/2013 13:56

What we do with DS (23mo) is that in the morning he brushes his teeth himself. Then in the evening I brush them and that is non-negotiable. He does have a strop/cry in the evenings sometimes most of the time but because he's crying he'll have his mouth open which helps I tend to slowly count to ten so that he knows that it will be over soon. That helps as when I've got to 3 or 4 he's usually stopped crying. Then afterwards I give him the toothbrush to have another go himself.

crazypaving · 09/04/2013 14:27

a good game to play is "what's that I can see at the back of your mouth? open wide? YOU HAVE A LION IN YOUR MOUTH! QUICK! Let's brush that naughty lion away!" roar, roar, roar, brush brush brush. and repeat for the top, the sides, the front etc. ds1 likes fire engines, trains, airplanes, elephants etc etc. doesn't always work but maybe once a week or so!

we talk a lot about teeth being strong and clean. and how crocodiles brush their teeth.

Original poster

blueboots · 09/04/2013 15:56

Going to try these tips. Thank you for your tips

OP posts:

atrcts · 09/04/2013 16:48

We sang a silly song which was just about long enough to get round all his teeth "brush brush this a way, brush brush that a way, brush brush every way, my oh my,... brush brush up and down, brush brush all around brush brush all is done, my oh my!"

He loved it and would open his mouth for the song, and very soon didn't need a song to carry on brushing.

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 09/04/2013 16:52

We had this with DD when she was 2 and it's now stopped (she's 3.5). I alternated between getting cross, telling her the dentist wouldn't be pleased if she stopped brushing her teeth (this helped, maybe she's got a healthy respect for non-parental authority) and also used a compact mirror to show her what it looked like when we brushed her teeth - she loved this. We even bought her a nasty Hello Kitty toothbrush with flashing lights...

But like most things with children, it worked itself out, her teeth are still all intact and not decaying black stubs and it now seems like a dim and distant memory.

Flip