Our son won't let us brush his teeth.

Dancer6978

He used to allow us to do it, when he was much younger and couldn't grip the toothbrush. For the last few months, however, he's been pursing his lips and throwing a tantrum every time we try.  We've tried all the little "tricks" that we've seen posted online, but nothing seems to help, and when he "brushes" his own teeth, it's more like him sucking off the toothpaste from the brush and then asking for more. (Great.)  He asks for the brush but doesn't want anything to do with its proper use.

We've tried rewards, distractions, interrupting him to do it when he has the brush in his mouth, etc.

Short of tying him down (LOL), we don't know what else to do. 

Suggestions? Thanks!  

dunvilles

I hold DS firmly against me and when he gets frustrated/starts to cry and opens his mouth I brush his teeth. I've tried all of the things you mentioned too and we let him "brush" his teeth first. To me, brushing his teeth twice a day is non negotiable. It musth be done whether he likes it or not. So we do it. Some nights he is a great sport and lets us brush his teeth and others I have to hold him against me but he knows that it is getting done one way or another.

Dancer6978

OK, this may be a stupid question, but is there a special way you hold him that works best for you and allows you to brush his teeth more easily?

groovygrl

Well you probably won't like this response but I didn't used to fight it much and mentioned it half jokingly to my pedi and she was like, um, well, better to force it than have to have his teeth extracted later...(I also tried all the tricks & the electric toothbrushes & whatnot)

So, we started pinning them down. We give them the brushes, let them 'brush' (suck/chew) and then we say "mommy's turn!/daddy's turn!" and lie them under us w/ their arms at their sides between our knees. I sing "1 little 2 little 3 little teeth..." up to ten and then backwards from 10 while I brush all the teeth and then end with the tongue (DD loves that, but DS doesnt play along). Then we have them throw their own brush in the sink.

DD is actually pretty game with the whole thing most nights, DS fights it & has for months now, but I feel like at least we do get their teeth brushed pretty well & they're used to it now even if they don't like it.

GL! 

Dancer6978

groovy, that is exactly how we used to suck snot from his nose with the bulb.  LMAO!  I was hoping that someone would have had another, more comfortable method, but if that's what others are doing, then I guess it's what we have to do, too.

 Yes, I am completely uncomfortable with just letting him suck on the brush. I just don't know what changed him from loving getting his teeth brushed to abhorring it. 

dunvilles

Dancer6978:

OK, this may be a stupid question, but is there a special way you hold him that works best for you and allows you to brush his teeth more easily?

I cradle his head in the crook of my arm with his arm closest to me behind my back (like he's giving a 1/2 hug) and then with the same arm that his head is in, I use my hand to hold his other arm and keep him firmly against me so he can't wiggle/pull up his head and hurt himself with the tooth brush. I use my free hand to brush his teeth. It sounds more complicated than it actually is.

lindseychase06

We went through  a phase like that. He loved brushing his teeth with a finger brush. We transitioned to a regular brush and he liked it for a short time, but then he started fighting it.

It became easier when I let him brush his teeth first, then I will brush them. I always sing the ABC song , so he knows exactly when we will be finished. It also got much better when we got a different kind of toothpaste he started wanting to brush more. I think he just likes the taste of the new one

kattyleigh

We went through this too. We solved it by letting her use her toothbrush for a few minutes (chewing, sucking the toothpaste) then I go for it with the finger brush. I make it a silly game and somehow she likes this.

wnk1029

We got our little guy an inexpensive electric toothbrush (just like Daddy's!) that he loves using.  He had been using regular toothbrushes, but would do the same thing -- just sucking on it or chewing on it -- but with the electric one, he likes to run it over all of his teeth/gums/tongue.

Polofsky

Ours went through that, I don't know where you usually brush teeth but for us, we started sitting them up on the bathroom counter and letting them look in the mirror while we brushed and we count out loud to 20. Some nights they still fuss and fight us but for the most part they are entertained by the mirror, they will play with some of the stuff on the bathroom counter and turn the faucet on and off...it helped

megann831

we do two brushes at once.  While she's doing the bottom, or sucking on it, I do the top, then get to the bottom while she's on the top

groovygrl

Dancer6978:

groovy, that is exactly how we used to suck snot from his nose with the bulb.  LMAO!  I was hoping that someone would have had another, more comfortable method, but if that's what others are doing, then I guess it's what we have to do, too.

 Yes, I am completely uncomfortable with just letting him suck on the brush. I just don't know what changed him from loving getting his teeth brushed to abhorring it. 

haha- your'e nicer than us, for snotsucking (we use a nosefrida, that thing is awesome), our kids get their arms pinned against their ears ('streamline style' if you're a swimmer...) by one parent to hold their head stable while the other sucks & puts in saline drops (as rec'd by our PNP )...

GL! 

erin922

Does LO have any teeth coming in?  DD was great with the toothbrush for awhile then one day it became a constant, horrible battle.  I dreaded toothbrush time.  Then one day we noticed her molars were all coming in at once and once they finally all broke through she went back to loving brushing her teeth. 

rgtsmom01

I also let him sit on the counter and look into the mirror while I start brushing my teeth .  While he is watching me he gets excited and lets me get into this mouth for a second so I then just go fast. 

shortstuff15

My daughter wouldn't fight me when I tried to brush, but she didn't like it either.  She just liked sucking the toothpaste & water off it.  I actually saw on here that somebodies dentist recommended brushing their teeth while they are laying on their back with their head between you legs, so that's what I started doing.  Her head is basically in my crotch and then when I put the brush in her mouth she just starts laughing and that makes it WAY easier!  Plus, you can use your legs for holding down and have both hands free that way!  I only brush her's once a day though.

melody921

DS puts up a fight every day, twice a day. I don't care. What's the alternative? That his teeth rot out? I have the easiest time if he's lying down, so I brush while he's on the changing table. He screams and tries to grab the brush and acts like it's the worst thing happening to him, but it's over pretty quickly.