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Tips for getting toddler to brush teeth

10 replies

StarShine23 · 24/04/2025 21:59

Hi, DD is just over 2 and is refusing to brush her teeth. We've tried all sorts, but nothing works for more than a couple of days. Any tips or ideas to help??
Thanks in advance 😁

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TropicofCapricorn · 24/04/2025 22:00

Just pin her down and do it, that's what I did..kinda just shoved it in whenever she opened her mouth..

lilylooleelala · 25/04/2025 09:27

Mine Is 2.8 and I ask her if she wants to brush my teeth for me. Normally that’s a big yes! Then I say okay now your turn to do yours!
Sometimes she will prefer me to do it.
If everything above is a big no, then myself and my husband will brush our teeth in front of her and normally she will want to join in with her own toothbrush. We have a lovely natural strawberry toothpaste for her which helps and she has her own little toothbrush pot. Some days are worse but keep going, your little one is still tiny!

Superscientist · 25/04/2025 09:38

We watch YouTube videos. We started with teeth cleaning videos but moved on to lots of different ones making colourful pasta etc
If needed we held her down to do them. I think at 2 we allowed 1 refusal so if they had a refusal we held her for the next brushing session. At the start this was probably once or twice a week but quickly went to once a month and then very rarely.

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BertieBotts · 25/04/2025 09:54

Keep changing it up :) It's normal as they are tired and not that cooperative at the end of the day and it's not really fun or interesting to brush your teeth is it? They don't understand the longer term consequences so you just have to keep holding firm about it.

If you have different ways to make it more fun then you can give her a choice - shall we sing a song today or look for the colours? Do you want to use the Paw Patrol toothbrush or the Elsa one? Strawberry toothpaste or spearmint? Often in supermarkets you can find all kinds of different toothpaste to try. Sometimes the same flavour with a different character or picture on it seems different to them too.

Google Home has a tooth brushing song DH found which my kids love even though I think it's a bit naff. Lots on youtube as well with every character from Blippi (though, don't let him in if you haven't already!!) to Peppa etc.

I used to get DS1 to "sing" using any tune you like, first using the sound eee eee eee eee, then using the sound aaaa aaaa aaa aaaa - that gives you the right mouth shape to access the fronts of the teeth and then the tops and backs of them. I called that "Eeee and Aaaah song".

Take it in turns as well - let her brush and then you have a go, or you go first and she goes second, or she "brushes" yours while you brush hers.

Try something silly like upside down teeth brushing where you lie her back over your lap and do them. Or backwards tooth brushing where you walk into the bathroom backwards and have a drink of water first and then brush them in the opposite order that you normally would.

We also used to do games where I'd look for "colours" in their teeth and then guess all kinds of unlikely things they had eaten. Green - have you been eating grass and crocodiles?? Oh, broccolli, oh that must be it. I've heard some people look for "animals" and then make the animal sound when they "find" the animal.

DH sometimes pretends to be a robot with a speed control so they can make him go slower or faster by turning a pretend dial. Then after they got used to that game the "dial" gets broken and he's an out of control robot going fast when they ask for slow etc.

All little ways to give them control and make it more interesting help. If she genuinely seems to struggle with the sensation of it, giving her control like controlling the speed or letting her try different kinds of toothpaste or brush can also help.

We recently put a smaller mirror on the wall next to the bath, and my 3yo has been absolutely fascinated by the fact that he can see what he is doing to his own face (one day he was really chocolatey in the bath so I gave him a flannel and showed him how to look that he was wiping the chocolate off) - it made me realise that with the depth of the sink and all the hand soap, taps, toothbrush etc clutter there, they couldn't really see themselves in the sink mirror, so a lower down one they can get really close to has been a hit here.

BeCalmNavyDreamer · 25/04/2025 09:55

Oral B Disney magic timer app is good.

Olika · 25/04/2025 09:58

we keep brushing tooth monsters out

doodleschnoodle · 25/04/2025 10:13

My kids have both loved the ‘germs’ game. DD1 is 6 now and still wants me to do it, and DD2 (2.5) loves it too. Basically I’m chasing germs around her mouth with the toothbrush, so I’ll say ‘Are there germs hiding in there?’ And she’ll point to a tooth and I’ll dive in with the toothbrush and do a silly voice that’s the germ being washed away to somewhere else in her mouth, etc. Also the tooth-brushing robot that sometimes malfunctions and tries to brush her nose and her ears.

fandjango · 25/04/2025 10:39

We watched some you tube videos about the dentist (child focussed ones) and he was really interested in them. Initially to prepare for going to the dentist but it has helped show why we need to brush our teeth.

We now say we have to brush the sugar monsters away and pour them down the drain.

We have also been to the dentist a few times since and he’s happy to get a sticker and show the lovely dentist how well he’s been doing brushing his teeth.

We also got a spiderman electric toothbrush and cup and have been changing the flavour of toothpaste too. Plus some light up paw patrol ones that flick from green to amber to red (B&M)

He doesn’t always want to do it and sometimes I have to do it for him but it’s got a lot easier.

fandjango · 25/04/2025 10:40

doodleschnoodle · 25/04/2025 10:13

My kids have both loved the ‘germs’ game. DD1 is 6 now and still wants me to do it, and DD2 (2.5) loves it too. Basically I’m chasing germs around her mouth with the toothbrush, so I’ll say ‘Are there germs hiding in there?’ And she’ll point to a tooth and I’ll dive in with the toothbrush and do a silly voice that’s the germ being washed away to somewhere else in her mouth, etc. Also the tooth-brushing robot that sometimes malfunctions and tries to brush her nose and her ears.

We do the same with looking for sugar monsters and getting them all out!

StarShine23 · 25/04/2025 19:04

Oh wow, some amazing ideas...you're all way more creative than me!! I'll give them a go...thank you 😊

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