Toddler Tooth Brushing and everything else they don't want you to do to them

nykola · June 2011

Yeah brushing Z's teeth was all fun and well until about 2 weeks ago when he decided this was an activity he wishes not to participate in. I have no desire to battle him out twice a day for this. That little sucker is STRONG for a not-even 2-year old. At the same time, he needs to have his teeth brushed. That's not even an option.

We've done the make it fun thing and let him brush his own teeth for a few minutes before mom or dad goes in and does the real brushing and it used to be fun, but now he wants no part. It's more of a battle of wills at this point.

Tips?

pinktulips · June 2011

Do you do a nightly bath? Maybe brushing his teeth while he is in the tub will work?

Have you tried letting him brush your teeth? Do you brush your teeth all at the same time (Ella and DH brush their teeth together every night, and we do it together every morning)?

Mama_v2.0 · June 2011

We just go for once a day brushing (by a parent) at night. My kids like stories so if they let me do it quick then we have time for stories. If I struggle with them for 15 minutes then they don't get stories. (basically we don't do anything until teeth are brushed.They can just stand in a corner or face a wall until they are ready if they are really having a hard time.)

Seattle_JiLLn · June 2011

Try a spinny tooth brush. They have cheap "disposable" ones.... Ben likes that. He has a "real" electric toothbrush now.

And really, if you can just do it once a day right now it's ok. Especially if it limits the power struggles.

Cooper loves brushing teeth because when we're done he gets to play in the sink with cups.

KNemo · June 2011

It's hit or miss with us, but I just pin him down with one arm, brush his teeth with the opposite hand, and sing two songs with him screaming. I felt like a monster, but it had to get done. We only do it once a day, before bed, because I can't fight that battle more than once a day.

The only thing that works, and I get a little bit of cooperation, is to let him stand on the step stool and play in the sink while I brush his teeth.

breebree13 · June 2011

KNemo:
It's hit or miss with us, but I just pin him down with one arm, brush his teeth with the opposite hand, and sing two songs with him screaming. I felt like a monster, but it had to get done. We only do it once a day, before bed, because I can't fight that battle more than once a day.
The only thing that works, and I get a little bit of cooperation, is to let him stand on the step stool and play in the sink while I brush his teeth.

This...even the playing in the sink. I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one K!

ohyeahdollface · June 2011

Does he like books? Sticker charts?

My niece hates her teeth being brushed. My sister hung a paper on the wall and each time she allowed her teeth to be brushed, she would get to choose a sticker to put on her paper. After about 30 stickers, which would be a tad over two weeks, she would get a new book to read for before bed. My sister would just snag books at the dollar store, or ones from the cheapy bins at target.

iHeartHimMore · June 2011

Lila is fairly reasonable about the whole thing, but I have found that doing silly things like alternating brushing her teeth with brushing her nose, cheek, tongue, forehead, etc. keeps her interested for longer.

tfarabians · June 2011

Twice a day might be a bit much at this age, I know Cruz wouldn't have let me brush his teeth twice a day at age 2. We just brush teeth at bedtime and I let him brush first and then I will go in and do a once over. I also sing a toothbrushing song to him when I'm brushing that he thinks is really funny.

greenmtbride · June 2011

We are also in the once a day camp and it's a hated chore. I have to constantly change my approach with him and get creative. I've gone the pin him down route a couple times and I hate it, so I just keep trying different things. I've had a lot of luck getting him to cooperate by sitting in front of our floor length mirror 'cause he likes watching. I also sing different silly songs...and he'll usually stop squirming long enough to try and figure out what I'm saying. Recently, I've started telling him that the faster we do this the more books we get to read...he doesn't get that concept yet, but hoping it will work down the road.

StellaZ · June 2011

Switching to an electric toothbrush was a big help! I usually get him from behind and count (slowly to 5) or sing the ABC song as I get all the nooks and crannies. He usually asks for it after to have his own "turn". The watermelon flavored toothpaste doesn't hurt either.

nykola · June 2011

Thanks for the tips! Electric toothbrush is def something I hadn't thought of. Picking that up this weekend! Glad to know I'm not the only one in the "i wrestle my toddler to brush his teeth" camp.

Seattle_JiLLn · June 2011

I would try really hard to avoid the holding them down and wrestling thing... I feel like I'd be more likely to back off and let him only brush his own teeth once a day for a few weeks and then try to work back in mommy taking turns too.

IdahoGirl · June 2011

FWIW, I'm with Katie.

MrsEditorJax · June 2011

Maybe I am just anal about dental care (and I am!) but I can't imagine only brushing Collin's teeth once a day. That means that he either isn't brushed after sleeping/eating, or that he goes to bed without being brushed. No thanks. We brush him twice a day (sometimes three if we have Indian buffet for lunch ha ha) and while he isn't a fan, he doesn't fight us now (he did around 18 months).

We let him brush first and then finish, and sing a song, and he stands on the sink and looks in the mirror at his favorite person (himself), so it goes quickly. The standing actually helped a lot because he didn't feel like he was being pinned down.

Seattle_JiLLn · June 2011

The only reason I say to try to avoid the holding down thing is that at some point you need that cycle to stop. If brushing teeth is a terrible awful fighting thing all the time, they're going to associate teeth brushing with something they want to avoid. I agree that it has to be done, and that you have to make sure you let them know that it has to be done... but breaking that cycle and making it fun IMO is better long term if you can get there somehow... even if that means less than perfect brushing for a week or two to just break the cycle.

Mrs_Stevens · June 2011

We had the same problem with DD. After talking to the dentist, we decided to drop it to just once a day and make it part of our nightly routine no matter if she participated or not. So now, DH holds her up so they can both see in the mirror and they brush their teeth. It took probably about 3 weeks of consistently doing it, but now it's not such a battle and she actively participates. What helped for us was having 2 toothbrushes so she could choose which one she wanted (we all know how big choices are at this age) and also getting her own "toothpaste". It's really just flavored gel but she loves it. We give her more toothpaste any time she asks for it and as they're both looking in the mirror, she is able to watch how DH brushes his teeth. Her technique is getting much better and she almost never fights toothbrushing now....it's just part of the nightly routine.

So my advice would be to just stick with it and make it routine...hopefully it becomes less of a battle sooner rather than later!

KNemo · June 2011

Seattle_JiLLn:
The only reason I say to try to avoid the holding down thing is that at some point you need that cycle to stop. If brushing teeth is a terrible awful fighting thing all the time, they're going to associate teeth brushing with something they want to avoid. I agree that it has to be done, and that you have to make sure you let them know that it has to be done... but breaking that cycle and making it fun IMO is better long term if you can get there somehow... even if that means less than perfect brushing for a week or two to just break the cycle.

I rarely have to pin him down anymore. But there are days that I have to pin him down for EVERYTHING; diaper change, putting the diaper back on after using the potty, putting clothes on, putting shoes on, brushing teeth, putting him in the car seat, etc.

He's an amazingly willful child, and reasoning with him isn't working right now. I give him two choices 1. stand on the stool and play in the water while mommy brushes your teeth, 2. mommy holds you down while she brushes your teeth. He usually chooses the option without pinning. I know that he will grow out of it or I will get more resourceful, but for now, that's all I got!

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