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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

brushing toddler teeth

28 replies

glamourdrudge · 13/02/2008 19:48

How do you persuade your 2yr old to let you brush her teeth? I'm swinging between insisting she does it because I've seen all the dried fruit and stuff she's eaten during the day (which means having an evil pin-down few minutes from which we both emerge shaken) OR encouraging her and praising which means she chews her brush a bit then chucks it across the room. I decided that DS really did have to clean his teeth around 14 months or so and he screamed for a while but now it's easy peasy. Maybe he's just more compliant? Whadja fink?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

cmotdibbler · 13/02/2008 19:50

Mr Tumble

soph28 · 13/02/2008 19:52

I went through quite a while where they chewed the toothpaste off and that was it- just couldn't do it properly myself when they were screaming, shaking head from side to side and clamping mouth shut. DD 18mths- likes to copy me when I brush mine and sometimes does quite a good job, ds 2.9 has recently started brushing quite well and every so often I insist on brushing them too just to make sure they are clean. He now has to clean them till he can hear them squeaking!

bunnyhunny · 13/02/2008 19:53

I am in a similar situation, so do you mind if I also ask
how long should each brushing take? I can manage about 45 seconds before he starts wailing...
and do you need to do it twice a day

(apologise for trying to hijack )

Tiggerish · 13/02/2008 19:53

In our house it is one of those non-negotiable events. If they don't cooperate they get pinned down and scrubbed. Not much fun really but so important.

dd (2.9) is pretty good at "helping" now which makes it a bit less traumatic, but it wasn't always that way.

Clegg · 13/02/2008 19:54

waiting for advice, I've tried EVERYTHING and can't get near those pesky teeth. I'm a bit worried as I have a afriend who has the same prob, her dd is 4 and some teeth look very stained.

BroccoliSpears · 13/02/2008 19:55

(a) Bribery. Clean your teeth and then we can watch Mika on Youtube.

(b) Pretend that I'm just brushing my teeth with my toothbrush and have no interest in brushing her teeth.

My turn Mummy? My turn? My turn teef Mummy? Mummy? My TURN!!
Oh okay Chick, if you really insist.

Original poster

glamourdrudge · 13/02/2008 19:57

Hmm, might be worth ditching electric brush and doing it manually; she's an imitative soul. Ta.

Think I got freaked out by my first sight of decayed teeth in a four year old at DS'd nursery. Yoiks.

As for timing, the expensive flashing brush I bought said 1 minute so 45 seconds sounds just fine!

OP posts:

tiredandgrumpy · 13/02/2008 19:58

I let both kids do it themselves - usually ths means eating the toothpaste off the brush, but with a bit of effort they can sometimes be persuaded to try to do it properly. Then I ask to check & do a proper scrub myself. Doesn't always work (and both kids have gone through difficult phases where I have had to do the pin down routine), but even my strong-willed, independent DD (20 months) will now let me do her teeth, provided she's had a go first.

chocolateshoes · 13/02/2008 20:06

DS chews his toothbrush with toothpaste on and then we play dentists where he sits on my knee, the knee reclines & I brush them with his electric toothbrush whilst raving about his beautiful white teeth!

Flibbertyjibbet · 13/02/2008 20:09

Er, we have been known to get our kids heads in an armlock to facilitate teeth brushing if they have been at a party or had some sweet stuff.
For a couple of nights after they are quite co-operative for some reason then it all slides again and a few nights later one of us holds them down in turn while the other brushes about 30 - 40 secs I think before we let go!
When they are a bit older if they object I will open my mouth and say 'you don't want a mouth full of metal like mummy do you? So get brushing'
They are ok for teeth brushing though if the tombliboos have been teeth brushing that episode.

tiredandgrumpy · 13/02/2008 20:11

oh yes - ds (4) also knows that the germs will eat his teeth if we leave them dirty and that will hurt!

Sycamoretree · 13/02/2008 20:16

I'm afraid I resort to threatening to deprive bed time story if she's really playing up. I've never once had to do it though- the threat is always enough. It's not that she won't do it, more that she won't let me have a proper good brush sometimes. I always say "mummy do first" make her roar like a lion to get to the molars at the back, then let her "finish" which is basically when she chews the tooth brush (feel like i replace every 6 weeks!). However, she is 2.6 and has just started to brush the front teeth quite well. I sing that stupid toothbrushing song that the geeky girl from Grease sings during the sleepover . I don't brush for that long, but it's done every morning and every night time - non-negotiable.

If you are really struggling, I reckon you could alternate so one brush a day she gets to do her thing, but the other you insist on getting a bit stuck in. Agree it's v. important. I probably only do like five brushes on top both sides, bottom both sides and then the front, if that's any use for comparison. Good luck!

BettySpaghetti · 13/02/2008 20:21

I found that giving DS a child's mirror to hold and look into whilst I brushed his teeth really helped. We had a bath mirror from Boots (foamy/plastic child safety one)

Original poster

glamourdrudge · 13/02/2008 21:03

Sorry, my line went down.

I let them off in the a.m. and they can chew as they wish but p.m. has always been serious.

BUT I could be less rigid probably and have a less traumatic bedtime; she's quite OK as long as you don't upset her. Most of our days are governed by DON"T UPSET THE BABY! hum

OP posts:

givemehope · 13/02/2008 22:17

Does DD watch 'In the Night Garden'? have found getting my DS to imitate the Tombliboos helps! (They brush their teeth with oversize brushes most evenings).

ratbunny · 14/02/2008 08:35

love the idea of a mirror. and it might be worth recording the tombliboos - oh look, they are brushing their teeth again, just like last night

and glad to hear 45s is enough too

LyraSilvertongue · 14/02/2008 08:38

Make it as fun as possible. My two have toothbrushes with flashing red lights, the idea being that threy scrub their teeth as much as possible before them light stops flashing (after 60 seconds).
Or you could try brushing your teeth with her, so she can see what to do.

LyraSilvertongue · 14/02/2008 08:41

Oh, just seen you've already tried the flashing brush.

rmadley · 14/02/2008 08:57

I let ds have a go first (usually involves sucking the toothpaste off), and then he is given the option of either mummy or daddy cleaning them properly (obviously this ploy only works if we are both around at time of teeth brushing!). It's gradually getting easier but between 18 months and 2 years it was a daily battle morning and night!

glaskham · 14/02/2008 09:02

my ds (just 3) will let me brush his first, then he spits (up until a few motnhs ago he swallowed all the toothpaste) and then he'll brush his on his own too.....

dd is 22 mths and we have a bit of a fight with it....she brushes her teeth in the bath very well, but she dribbles the toothpaste into the bath which ds hates- he's a clean-freak- anyway she's now getting into a habit of sitting on top of the toilet seat lid and mummy will brish them, then she can brish them herself like her big brother.

TantieTowie · 14/02/2008 09:56

I asked my dentist about toothbrushing (I have a one year old who wouldn't have his teeth brushed until I convinced him to watch the boy in the mirror brush his teeth instead, but that might not work for a two year old). Anyhow even the dentist said when his kids were small, one was really good, but the other he used to have to pin down to the bathroom floor. So I guess it's pretty universal really.

Louandben · 14/02/2008 10:11

Pretty much have to hold my son, (2.5) down but get him to open wide and not struggle by singing the "brush your teeth in circles" song, or listing what he ate that day that I am getting off, or bargaining that I will do ten brushes then he can have his turn...I only manage it just before bed though, mornings as well just too much to deal with.

BeckyHelen · 14/02/2008 14:36

I never really had too much trouble brushing my 20 mnth old dd's teeth, until recently. She seems to have decided that she doesn't like the taste of the toothpaste, and after a day of her not wanting much of her food and being sick after I foolishly coaxed her to have 1 more mouthful, I attempted to brush her teeth and she reluctantly opened her mouth, and as soon as she swallowed a little bit of toothpaste she wretched on it and was sick everywhere! Then I had to contend with half digested milk all over the bedroom floor. Oh, the joys of parenthood sometimes!!

Now I'm worried she will do it again, so I will try to just use a very small amount of toothpaste and see how that goes!!

Has anyone else had this problem? Not liking your teeth being cleaned is one thing, but being sick is a bigger headache altogether!

UniS · 14/02/2008 20:02

BOy chews his brush for abit then I ask him whats in his mouth and I proceed to brush the train/ tractor/ dog/dinasaur/ friend whoever he surgests whilst holding his head if needed. Don;t always need to hold his head as hes generally quite intersted in what I'm doing to the train etc.

Sunshinemummy · 14/02/2008 20:08

I let him do it first, which also involves chewing. I then put him on my knee and do it. He prefers it if he lies down but it does veer between co-operative and compliant and complete tantrum. I've also told him it's a none negotiation (like holding my hand when we cross the road) but sometimes it's hard. We never manage more than a minute.

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