How can we help our 22 month old accept tooth brushing?

[Pontypool]

Hi .

I've got a 22 month old son. Almost a complete set of teeth.. cannot get him to brush them at all. As he will fight us every second.

I've got a normal baby toothbrush and another (electric) child's brush that's an elephant suitable for his age. He isn't having any of it.
My wife suggested getting this new type , where soft silicon bristles brush the entire upper and lower teeth all at once. Like dentures.
He isn't having any of it at all. I can maybe insert it for like 1 second before he violently shakes his head from side to side.
Toothpaste so over his face and clothes

We've also tried all brushing our teeth in there he isn't having that either. We had limited success letting him brush his own teeth. But he just bites down on it and isn't doing it right.

Curious if anyone has any experience how to handle this?

Our dentist always advised against forcing it. Said it's worse in the long run as it makes them even more resistant.

Make it fun. There are loads of toothbrushing videos online. DD particularly loved the Hey Duggee one.

Take them shopping and get them to pick out a toothbrush.

Try a different flavoured toothpaste if they don't like the mint flavour.

Brush yours at the same time etc.

Do a dollies first.

My dentist said do whatever necessary and to not use other flavours as you then have to switch to mint when they get older.

It'll be a whole lot harder for you and your wife to handle if he needs a general anesthetic for tooth removal! bigger picture here. I would avoid a video before bed.

Pin him down, every time. He can choose the easy way or the hard way but it needs to happen. Toothbrushing is too important to let him choose not to do it.

The reward of a sticker worked for us, big shiny stickers of different animals and she could go in her room and stick it on a poster.

I would make sure the toothpaste isn't too strong in flavour - my 2 always said it was too spicy 😂 so we tried strawberry flavoured toothpaste, before we progressed to the mild mint but now they both use normal.

We also used the Hey Duggee toothbrush song.

We also did toothbrushing as part of their bath and bed routine, so we'd brush their teeth in the bath. We'd also give them our toothbrush, so they could brush our teeth for a bit first, then we'd brush theirs and we'd take it turns like that. Then when we'd finished they'd always have a go brushing their teeth with their toothbrush as well.

I wouldn’t pin down a 22 month old for this, you are just setting yourself up for years of struggles because it will be a horrible experience for him. You are playing a long game here, trying to build a life long habit. The habit of tooth brushing is more important than brushing his teeth on that particular night.

I had a violently resistant tooth brusher and I used several tooth brushing videos from my phone, I also played games like “finding” things in his teeth and guessing what he ate….or following a tiny monkey around his mouth. Anything silly to get a laugh. I did he brushed for a bit and then I brushed for a bit…. Something would work for a while and then I would have to come up with a new strategy.

From about 5 years old it was all plain sailing. At 11 now he does it himself with minimal reminding. The dentist advised me at the time that as a toddler, if I just got the toothpaste on all his teeth that was good enough. I don’t think I was ever able to brush for more than a minute until he was 4.

It might be the toothpaste. I couldn’t do my child’s until I found flavour free.

I have never had to brush a toddler's teeth but I will mention a couple of things.

As a child toothpaste would sting my gums, the dentist recommended brushing with water.

The other is I put the toothpaste on my teeth before I brush them. I use my toothbrush (dry and not switched on) but you could do it with your fingers, then you could tell him you re going to brush the toothpaste off.

I pinned my down. Eventually he learnt it's part of the routine.

Make it predictable. So he knows that after pyjamas, for example, comes toothbrushing.

I pin my child, but it's useless because she just clamps down on the brush and won't open her mouth for anything. I guess I could pinch her nose, but that feels like a step way too far.

She loves the taste of normal adult toothpaste and would happily suck the tube clean if we didn't keep it out of reach, so its not that.

First post nails it.

Tooth brushing is not negotiable. Think how awful you'll feel when he's in the dentist chair having fillings or extractions in the future if you don't nail this now.

Maybe buy several brushes and have them around for times during the day rather than make a performance at bedtime to start with.

Holding our 18 month old upside down works well. If he's screaming, his mouth is open so it's actually eaiser than when he's cooperating, when he tends to chew the toothbrush! He got his first tooth at 4 months though, so he knows the deal.