Toddler tooth brushing

[graysor]

Help! How do you brush your 2yo's teeth?

Dd is 2.2. We go through good and less good phases with tooth brushing but usually manage ok. But recently its become practically impossible.

I've tried loads of different strategies; offering a choice, trying to make it fun/ into a game, making it silly, having a special song, taking turns etc all now completely ineffective. Brute force is impossible too. She's too strong and wriggly.

I'm sure I could do it if I gave her a peppa video to watch on my phone. But I'm loathe to introduce a screen just before bed. And given the meltdown we get when we turn the tv off at any time I think this would just create a new problem.

Any bright ideas?

At 2.2 I handed her a toothbrush and let her "brush" mine while I brushed hers.

We also used the “look a tiger/polar bear/crocodile let’s brush it away” as a pp said, it was brilliant for a couple of weeks but then the novelty wore off and we are now back to fighting every day and night... very stressful!