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Toddler Teeth Brushing
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    I feel bad that I have to put my 2 year old in a headlock to brush his teeth but DAMN! They need cleaned!

    I'm afraid I'll hurt him or he'll hurt me if I tried to do what you are! He insists on doing it himself except he really just sucks the training toothpaste off. I try to switch off where I let him do it for a while then say mommy's turn to help you but half the time that starts a tantrum. I'm praying his teeth don't fall out prematurely. How do you get your toddler to brush teeth?
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    when you are two years old, you dont get to call the shots.
    Trust me, putting your kid in a headlock now is better than having root canal and 6 fillings at the age of 4.
    Think about it.
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    i used to put mine in a headlock while he screamed. it made it easier, the screaming. he's 11 now with no cavities :)
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    Wow. I've never had a problem I say open up and they opened up. I brush they spit and then we gt cute little dixie cups to rinse. I suppose I'm lucky that's not one of the fights I've had.
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    Ugh my 2yo is obsessed with brushing her teeth, and she does a damn good job at it. The problem? She wants to do it 20 times a day, and I dont wanna help her 20 times a day. i wish my 9yo weren't impossible in this manner.
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    I have the older siblings come in and the "show" the toddler how to let mom brush their teeth. Toddler wants to copy the big kids. And I bought a kid sized spin brush.
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    My 2 yo son had OHS. No meds, no complications, just yearly echocardiograms to make sure everything is going ok. Oh, and good oral hygiene. Because plaque build up could cause complications. So... no pressure on us to get our kid to brush his teeth, right? Right after the surgery I was FREAKING OUT every time I brushed my kids teeth because he didn't want to do it, screamed, bit down on the toothbrush, etc. Finally, I gave it a break for a couple of days and came back to it with a more playful attitude. I found out we had to experiment until we found a method that was right for us. Here are some of the games (?) we played
    Do I brush your finger with the toothbrush? *noooo* Do I brush your ear with the toothbrush? *nooo* Do I brush your teeth? *yes!* I do!?! Let's see how we do it.
    You brush my teeth while I brush yours.
    You get to brush first, then it's mommy's turn.
    Say ah. Say oh. Say pickles. Say ah again.
    Made up an "I love to brush my teeth song".
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    My three year old does ok, but my 20 month old is a real bear! Her dentist told me to wrap her in a towel so her arms are pinned. Pediatric dentist.

    It feels like child abuse, and I have terrible guilt about it. When I spoke to my pediatrician about it he said the dentist gave me the right advice. The pediatrician told me that teeth brushing is in the same category as being buckled in the carseat, both are non-negotiable. Wrapping her in a towel to brush her teeth isn't abusive, but letting her get cavities is! I still feel guilty every time, but take comfort in the fact that this is a temporary phase, like everything else!
  • Anonymous
    Posts: 29,315
    As much as I hated that purple motherfucker, the Barney brushing song saved my life. In fact, just joking around, we still sometimes sing it when we are both trying to get ready in the morning - she graduated high school yesterday!
  • AutumnAutumn
    Posts: 898Member

    DS2 acts like I am torturing him when I brush his teeth. :(   I'm glad that I'm not the only one that has to pin their kid down!  I use his super soft baby toothbrush first, then go over his gums with an infant rubber brush that goes on your finger.  I am really worried about his teeth because mine are not great at all, even though I brush at least twice a day, morning and night.  DF has never had a cavity though, and DS takes after him A LOT so hopefully he will have his nice teeth too.

  • shouldcleanshouldclean
    Posts: 2,369Member
    We brush out the monkeys. They are always different colors. My daughter is 2 years almost 4 months. She opens up wide so we can say get out monkeys. both her and ds4 think its hysterical and I no longer have to sit on top of her.
  • GrainneGrainne
    Posts: 857Member
    The boys cousins told them they need to get rid of the sugar bugs because they poop on your teeth and you need to get
    That poop off . Our pediatric dentist told us he had to hold down his own son to brush his teeth made us feel better. last visit the dentist told the boys they can brush their teeth in the morning but mommy and daddy need to brush at night. Interesting that they remind us of what dr kelly said.
  • onetimeonetime
    Posts: 2,014Member
    Anonymous said:

    Ugh my 2yo is obsessed with brushing her teeth, and she does a damn good job at it. The problem? She wants to do it 20 times a day, and I dont wanna help her 20 times a day. i wish my 9yo weren't impossible in this manner.



    That was me. And she still wants to brush 20 effin times a day.
    Suck it up buttercup!
  • AutumnAutumn
    Posts: 898Member

    Lol @onetime I wish my son was as enthusiastic.

  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    I tell the boys to open big so they can have a shiny crocodile smile. I always ask, do you want to brush first or do you want me to brush first? Always set a timer so they know when to quit. And the kids will only let me floss if I have the colorful, single use floss thingies. They don't do plain white!
  • i_am_a_thunderbirdi_am_a_thunderbird
    Posts: 1,684Member
    I think I'm lucky with Ds3 then.

    He loves getting his teeth brushed. We used a soft adult-sized brush because it takes less time and yummy bubblegum flavoured toothpaste.

    On nights when he fights me, I simply say "No more sugar if you don't get THIS sugar off your teeth." I explained that the sugar sticks to his teeth like little monsters and we need to get rid of them.

    I haven't had a problem yet, though I anticipate that could change.
  • irishlassirishlass
    Posts: 6,726Member
    I dont floss my toddlers teeth! is that awful!? Most nights hes really good at it and does it in the bath, and then mummy gets a turn, if hes not in the bath he doesnt want to be bothered with it, so I got him a play electric toothbrush with spiderman! So far its a really big hit!
    "Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." - Dr. Seuss
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    @irishlass, their teeth definitely need to be flossed too. You can get those individual floss things for cheap though & makes it super easy to do. But that is one thing I don't let the little ones do yet. Don't want them to cut their little gums!
  • momsaidnomomsaidno
    Posts: 1,805Member
    dd4 brushes her teeth 4 5 6 times a day, ds 3 i have to hold his mouth open, then he will bite down and hold the toothbrush so i cant move it around in his mouth

  • shate98shate98
    Posts: 2,804Member
    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/19/new-center-aims-to-curb-tooth-decay-in-infants-and-toddlers/

    There were a flurry of news stories at the beginning of the month about dental disease in young children. I can't find the better ones, but here's one of them.

    I started making my DS1.5 brush his teeth at the age of 6 months, just to get him used to it. Sometimes he fights me, sometimes he tries to scrub the toilet with his toothbrush or make the dog brush his teeth, and sometimes he actually puts the brush in his mouth. But he almost always lets me finish his brushing, since he's used to it.
    "As you wander through your life, whatever be your goal,
    keep your eye upon the doughnut, not upon the hole."
  • AnonUser35
    Posts: 543Guest
    My DD23mths loves brushing her own teeth (she sucks the training tooth paste off and chews on the brush). She is allowed to brush her own teeth while I brush mine, but once I'm done, she knows that I am going to brush them for her. She loves it. She also lets her sitter brush them after lunch.

    Like @shate98, we started at about 6 months also. So far, we have had very few tantrums.
  • irishlassirishlass
    Posts: 6,726Member
    @chaosmom I will definately check it out! B's teeth are all spaced quite far apart, so I sortove assumed that the brush was getting inbetween, cause I make sure to brush thoroughly front and back, but i will see what I can find :) 
    "Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." - Dr. Seuss
  • Slmc13
    Posts: 2Member
    Mine is 6 now yet still fighting over it.
  • crazylazymommycrazylazymommy
    Posts: 249Member
    I am definitely lucky to have a kid that loves to brush her teeth. You definitely have to find what works for you. I always let her brush first and then i would follow up after. Our dentist just recently told us to start flossing her back molars because that gap has closed. Hopefully you can find a way that can make it fun for him.
  • larissamj
    Posts: 31Member
    Shit. I had no idea how much I needed to do this...ignorance was once bliss...well thanks ladies let the head locking begin. Lol
  • wornout
    Posts: 18Member
    We had such a problem with this!!!  I used to literally sit on DS!  I'd lay him down on the floor, and straddle him (not trying to be perverted).  I didn't put my weight on him. I'd put my legs on the outside of his arms so he couldn't move them, then hold his head down with my left hand and brush with my right.  It was a battle to brush his teeth.  I got sick of fighting him and starting spanking him for not letting me do it.  We were brushing battle free in no time!  I got him a spinbrush with iron man on it and he loves it!  Now he keeps his mouth open wide and lets me brush for however long I need, with no fighting!!!
  • Tryingtogetitright
    Posts: 67Member
    We do the towel thing, I 'snuggle' her in her towel so that she can't get her arms to her face, and the we do our teeth song which basicly consists of two mins of oooh's and eeeeeh's and aaaaaaahh's, lol the things we do eh?
  • crazymama2twocrazymama2two
    Posts: 843Member
    Mine lives the spinbrush and asks to bush his teeth. He's 2.5. U can try that
  • SpringSpring
    Posts: 1,423Member
    We always tried so hard to show DD it was something fun. We let her pick out her own toothbrush and toothpaste and had varieties so she could choose a different one each night. But she associated the brushing at night with having to go to bed so she still actually hates it at 4. I totally sometimes wish I could put her in a headlock for it when she won't hold still and she's hitting and screaming (lips shut, damn how smart she is) But DH has this thing about being determined to make her enjoy brushing so that she'll keep it up as she gets older. It's been 3 years and I'm tired of the nightly fights. She loves it in the morning though... We let her do it herself then, having her mirror one of us. 
    "Sometimes I question my sanity. Sometimes it replies."
  • Beach_HippieBeach_Hippie
    Posts: 126Member
    Have you tried bacon or cupcake flavored toothpaste?
  • crazymama2twocrazymama2two
    Posts: 843Member
    @beach_hippie - shut the frik up - CUPCAKE flavored toothpaste?? this would never do. i would be on the hunt all day for sugary goodness!!! :) 
  • Beach_HippieBeach_Hippie
    Posts: 126Member
    You'd have excellent oral hygiene!
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,169Member
    I don't have a problem...she actually has a fit if we forget to brush...it's the only time she's allowed to SPIT!  And of course, that makes it sooooo much more fun!
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • MommyCharm
    Posts: 13Member
    I used to have issues with my DD4. From the time she got teeth, to age 2.5, I used the little finger brush, which really worked, until her biting started hurting! When we switched to the "big girl" brush, she did okay for the first few night, but then, pandemonium. I guess her logic was " I Just brushed my teeth yesterday!" So, on to the headlock and pinning her down phase. She seems to be emerging from that stage now, and I find that making faces helps a lot, since she loves to act silly. I'll say, "Say chhhhhhheeeeeeesssssseeeee! Now say "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"  while making funny faces in the mirror.   :O)
  • VswanVswan
    Posts: 37Member
    I make it a rhyming game and tell him to get all the yuckies off his teeth so he doesn't get cavities. He loves brushing his teeth and spitting in the sink ;))
  • ImWendyImWendy
    Posts: 6,561Member
    I still have to hold Tripp down. In other news, he and Tessa both have fillings appointments today. So. You know.

    PS -- When you have to fight them and they squeeze their mouth shut?? TICKLE THEM!!! Plus it helps to lighten the mood.
    deus ex machina
  • anonymommy
    Posts: 1,420Member
    I think I may have gotten this idea from another thread on here a while ago, but I ask DS who is hiding in his teeth.  Every time he picks someone different...spiderman, pokoyo, whoever it is, we have to find them and brush them out.
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