Toddler and Teethbrushing

[Eliz87]

HELP! My almost 3 year old is an absolute nightmare when it’s time to brush his teeth. He is ok with me brushing the outside of his teeth but he just clamps his teeth together so I can’t get the inside. I have tried so many things. He has 3 different toothbrushes and he gets to pick which one he wants to use. He watches me brush my teeth. We have used songs and videos on YouTube. I’ve tried making him laugh to open his mouth. I have made a game that the tooth brush wants to eat the food in his teeth and absolutely nothing is working. I am so worried about him getting cavities. He has speech delay so the communication barrier isn’t helping either. I am completely out of ideas. It is soul destroying

My 3 year old was very similar. I think the mint taste was too much for her tongue so I bought the aquafresh strawberry toothpaste and she's been much better recently. I also let her choose a song or a theme tune (usually paw patrol) that I sing to her whilst brushing her teeth and this seems to help.

Tooth monsters. Saw them first on here and DD loves them.

'What's that in your teeth?! Oh no, it's a tooth monster! It's all red and furry-let me get it! Oh no, I missed, it's run onto your back teeth, let me just... Ha! Got it! Oh no, there's a purple one poking its head out on the other side...'

Etc. Etc. My DD loves it when her tooth monsters waggle their bums at me, or stick their tongues out 🤷.

Yes another vote for none Ming toothpaste. Also in the morning my two are given vitamins (which they love) but only post teeth brushing

Have you let him try and brush his own teeth? I have a 3 year old DD with severe speech delay and I have found it really helpful to get her involved in the whole process. I let her put her toothbrush under the tap herself and try to put the toothpaste on the brush herself (while supervising!).

We then go to a mirror and she has a chew on the toothbrush for a few seconds and then I will ask if she wants mummy to 'make the bubbles' in her mouth and she will watch me brushing her teeth in the mirror as the toothpaste 'bubbles'.

Prior to this routine she would try and run away when she saw the toothbrush or simply launch it across the room!

Thank you all. I will try a different flavour toothpaste. Yes I have also let him do it himself. Trouble is he just brushes the front teeth then sucks the toothpaste off and puts the brush back. This morning we played a game, I told him the toothbrush was hungry and wanted to eat the food in his teeth and made funny sounds of the brush eating. I have also this morning ordered a 3 sided toothbrush and a toothbrush game where he play brushing the teeth of a crocodile mouth. I am hoping something helps.

Solid parenting here, but I sometimes brush my children TV when their distracted by watching TV…!

Oh I’ve tried the TV trick too, also tried brushing whilst he’s playing with toys in the bath. I’ve actually seen a U shaped toothbrush that I have ordered. Get all the teeth at the same time. I’ll give it a try. He’s a stubborn little thing