"Brush your baby's teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes"

[PollyPeep]

Just noticed this on the back of the baby toothbrush packet and now wondering whether any dentists have actually met a baby 🤣 We're lucky to get 10 seconds, for both my 2 year old and 5 year old. Anyone else manage better? Light-hearted post!

I can just about get a minute each time now with my 3 year old - he just thinks its hilarious to suddenly turn his head or sit down or run off, so it's been a slow process but just about managing a minute now haha! The dentist sees him and he wont even open his mouth!

I get about ten seconds with my two year old and maybe a minute with my 3 year old! I do worry about it. But even pinning the small one down doesn't work as she thrashes around like a salmon until I give up.

My mum had a technique where she 'looked for diamonds' in my ds's mouths. They would let her brush their teeth whilst she searched. We also used a tooth brushing app which worked for a while. It really was hard work!

2 minutes??? They're having a laugh and have been practising on a dummy.

Should you try and get your baby used to having your finger/a toothbrush in their mouth for very short periods of time - yes of course

Should you pin down your screaming baby for 2 minutes to force a toothbrush past their gritted teeth - no absolutely not

Especially to begin with when they only have 2 teeth, 2 minutes would be overkill

Does it count as two minutes if every other brush stroke your toddler bites down on the toothbrush and refuses to let go?! Then release, brush, bite. Release, brush, bite! The 1 year old is better than the 3 year old!

Dentist's having a laugh

Yep never managed more than a few seconds with my 3yo. I reckon as long as we do every section then it'll do.

We've only just started doing it twice a day, even. Up till recently it was evenings only.

We do take her to the dentist every 6mo and so far all fine. The dentist actually said it was OK when I told her during the visit-before-last that we were still just brushing once a day, age 2.5yo. I thought she'd say that it had to be twice.

Yes but it takes more than 2 minutes to get her teeth cleaned.

I've let my DD "choose" her toothbrush from about 2.

So I've had to find manual toothbrushes that look like characters and stick to mirror/wash basin/tiles etc. or electric toothbrushes that have characters on them. She chooses the colour or character.

Then since she was 3 I have told her to clean her teeth herself and go away for about 2 minutes. I then come back and "check" that she has cleaned it properly. I find her normally playing with the toothbrush.

I actually then brush her teeth making comments on how well she done on some bits and missed other bits.

Then finally I brush her tongue which she finds hilarious and I think is the only reason she allows me to brush her teeth.

I don't really see why you need to do 2 minutes for a baby/toddler, my DD2 (18 months) only has 8 teeth. It doesn't need 2 mins to clean them, even if she would tolerate it for that long, which she wouldn't.

We do try and do DD1's for 2 mins though, she's 4.

Most 5 year olds (additional needs aside) are capable of brushing their teeth for 2 minutes. Honestly having seen the state of some young children's teeth and the procedures they have to have to remove them it's always been non negotiable for me, even when DS used to get upset. Let them choose a toothbrush, find a fun timer either as an app or one of the character ones, try different toothpastes, bribes such as stickers and help them do it. Same for younger children, either a finger brush or baby brush and lots of encouragement, singling, praise etc even from when they're young.

Oh I think we've been really lucky as DS (aged 3) is happy for a good 60-90 seconds twice a day.
I was feeling bad for not getting the full 2 mins, but I'm relieved after reading these answer!
Having a spiderman electric toothbrush has helped and we had to do a sticker chart for a while.
Ultimately, we're just fortunate he's quite chilled about things like tooth brushing.

We have a song we do that roughly lasts 90secs to 2mins. We can usually get through that, but when DC gets really enthusiastic about toothbrushing, it's because they want to eat the toothpaste.

HV here - good luck with that 🤣

Standard health visitor response!

I have an almost 2 year old and a friend who has a kid of the same age is a dentist. She said she never understood how parents could say they “cannot” brush their kids teeth until she actually had to try doing it! Anyway my daughter chews her toothbrush for about 4 seconds twice a day and then goes about her business.

We manage it with my 2 year old but only when she's watching a screen 🙈 we're gonna have to wean her off that soon but for now it's a necessity!

Glad to see it's not just me! 😂

Is the theory that if a baby has their teeth brushed for 2 mins from the very start then it will just be routine. All very well until a child can move!

The NHS guidelines seems a bit more realistic- do your best.

Totally unrealistic as usual

If a screen works I wouldn't worry about taking it away! Honestly brushing teeth properly is so important, the amount of children I've seen at work having extensive dental work under GA is really sad- it's not always noticeable either and it's not just those who never brush their teeth. Dental hygiene is so important for children.

We brush our 2 year olds teeth to the duggee toothbrushing song every morning and every evening. She still enjoys it. I guess we're just lucky.

Surely this is an opportunity to introduce the bop that is the Hey Duggee toothbrushing song!
https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=hey%20duggee%20toothbrush%20song&tbm=&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b7bf8d49,vid:oStaJTHgHMU,st

We get close to 2 minutes but it takes at least 10 minutes

For us we know we absolutely have to. Her teeth have acid damage from severe reflux.

We do ah and play the game of getting her to harmonise with us. We get her to scream at us. We play dentist. We keep coming back to it if she needs a pause.

Mine is happy to let me brush his teeth but only if I'm singing hickory dickory dock loudly while doing it.

We have an electric toddler toothbrush that turns itself off when it's done - I think it only vibrates for one minute, definitely doesn't feel like two minutes.