Brushing Teeth - New York,NY

try a musical tooth brush and let him pick it out! Also in Walmart I saw "firefly" toothbrushes that have a flashing light in the handle. My 3yo LOVES them and started brushing her teeth TOO much because of them! A.

Hi Susan,
I'd suggest brushing your own teeth while letting the little guy "brush" his own, then let him "brush" your teeth, and then you take a turn brushing his.
Good luck !

I told my daughter about how the dentist uses a light to see inside your mouth. I sit her in front of the mirror and let her hold a flashlight up to her face while I brush her teeth and talk about everything that she ate that day. We even turn off the light to make it more fun. That works for now. It keeps changing.

Try a different flavor. maybe he is tired of the old toothpaste. Or you could try to let him do it by himself. I know that it is not as good as if you were to do it but maybe by him trying it himself and you show him how to do it, it might give him the "big boy feeling". Worth a try. Good Luck!

For my almost 26-month old son, I let him brush his teeth first for a bit and then I say "let me see Monster Peter" and he opens his mouth and roars or screams while I get in there and scrub his entire mouth. I've also tried the "brush mommy's teeth" tactic and the "let's brush together tactic." Try a few different things...something is bound to work! I think the most important thing is to try to keep it fun rather than turn it into a task that they dread each morning and night. The more he sees you brush your teeth, the more likely he will be to want to do it, too.

Can you find a toothbrush with a familiar character on it? My daughter loved her Elmo toothbrush and now her Dora one, even though she barely tolerates toothbrushing. Try singing a familiar song while you are brushing. I find that my daughter is not only distracted by the song, but she also knows that the time spent brushing is limited by the length of the song. Tooth brushing is such an important aspect of hygiene and health that it is important to figure out a way to establish good habits early. In my opinion, it's a fight worth fighting. Good luck!

My son was the same way, even now at 2 1/4 he's not quite brushing and liking it.
It was quite an ordeal in the beginning. He never liked it.... flavors didn't make a difference, cute tooth brushes.. didn't matter much.
I even held him upside down a few times because that would get his mouth open... but persistence paid off. After a month of screaming fits every night, he has accepted defeat. to think it used to bring me to tears ... and now it is even a little game. We count to 10 on each side, bottom then top.. and the then the bottom and top front teeth. sometimes, he pretends to be difficult, but when I say "Say ahhhhhhh" .. he opens right up.
He'll say "I do it".. and I let him try. We have a mirror, which helps, but in all honesty, mom still brushes and counts every night. He doesn't really brush well, and just wants to suck the paste off the brush.
I try to do my part really fast, so when he says he wants to do it, I can let him try and then say "great job, alllll clean!" .. without having to finish up.
When grandma is visiting, he did remind her that he brushes his teeth before bed, and made an attempt.
I believe it is just one of those things that you have to push very hard, and a child will come around. I stuck with it and took control because there are two choices,,,"deal with it now, or deal with the cavities later, or worse gum/mouth diseases" GOOD LUCK...

Great advice from all. IN our house brushing is still an issues sometimes. As little as your child is dont fight with him too much. I read that if you are in a position to possibly hurt your childs moth or lips trying to get him to brush then it is not worth it. My daughter and I use the brusha brush song. Sometimes I can sit on the bathroom floor and brush my teeth while she "brushes" hers then I help her. Most of the time I have to lay her on my bed and make a game out of looking at her teeth and singing the song while I brush for her. If she fights too much as she tends to time to time. I dont push it and she will watch me brush my teeth.

Hi Susan,

Try letting him do it on his own (then go over it yourself when he is done). What I do is stand my daughter in front of the mirror, give her the toothbrush with the toothpaste on it and I also brush my teeth at the same time to show her how it's done. Your son will probably mostly chew on the brush at first but will eventually get the hang of it when he sees you doing it. Kids love to imitate their parents and they like to feel the control is in their hands (independent little ones that they are).

Good Luck!

Same problem with our 16 mon old. I think it's their age. We still do it anyway though I am not sure they are actually getting cleaned. At least they are learning the concept. I also think letting her watch us brush our teeth might help so we will be putting a few of our tooth brushes into her bathroom and all getting a good brushing at the same time. She also has a "play" brush that I give to her to "practice" while getting dressed... she just imitates, again I don't think she is actually cleaning anything. We sing teeth brushing songs while attempting to brush her teeth but again squirming and such continues. Maybe asking your dentist for some tips and advice next time you visit.

The easy solution is stop brushing his teeth - specifically, YOU stop brushing his teeth and start teething him to do it.

At nearly 1.5 years old, the child should be able to emmulate your activities and should be able to hold a brush well enough to "fake" it. Demonstrate for your child how to brush and make funny noises while doing it to make it fun. We use the "open-wide and say ahhhh" when we brush molars and the tops of our teeth. We use a smile and say "eeeeee" when we brush the fronts/sides of our teeth. Then we stick out our tongues and brush that too! It keeps the time together light hearted and jolly.

At nearly 2.5 years old, our daughter does it all herself now but Mommy and Daddy "check" it and we make all the noises and faces again so one of us can confirm she has brushed well.

I have found that in general when our daughter fights us, it is because she is trying to be independent and ready to attempt a new and challenging skill. Using this approach as a guide in other activities can make life a great learning experience for all involved.

~C.

Susan,
Please follow Mindy T's great advice. I would also add use a soft bristle toothbrush and brush softly. Also try different flavored toothpaste. Variety is the spice of life. Perhaps there is a different toothpaste flavor he may prefer instead of the traditional mint.
Hope this helps.
K..

Why don"t you call some Pediatric Dental offices and get their input. This way you can get a professional viewpoint as well as interviewing an office for future dental visits for your child. The American academy of Pediatric Dentistry suggest children should be seen in the office before they are a year old. Many offices have either a very reasonable first time visit fee to the office or no charge at all.

Hi Susan,

Would you happen to have a dental mirror? This is fun for my little one, she just turned 3. We have fun brushing and looking at our teeth.

It took a while to get her to brush, but with her character brushes and kids' toothpaste, she gets mad at me when I don't remind her when I brush my teeth. So now, we do it together every morning - and she hollers at her older brother - he'll be 9 next week - for him to brush with us.

I do the same as some moms have suggested. I let her brush while I'm brushing, then I brush hers - I finish up, then help her rinse.

Hope this helps.