Question
teeth brushing
I am having a lot of problems brushing my 2 year old son's teeth. Any suggestions?
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7 Answers
Ugh! I'm going through the exact same thing with my 21 mo. old!
Right now I just let her brush her own teeth, which really is just biting on the toothbrush and eating all of the toothpaste. But I have recently been able to get her to stand still (with her mouth open) just long enough for me to get a few good strokes in. I then make sure to rinse her mouth, I've heard that this is really important.
I'm also starting to use a toothbrush that plays a song for a minute, and if I sing along with it, she lets me get in there.
Good luck!
Hi Amymack:
It can be very difficult brushing someone else's teeth! Especially a 2 year old. The only suggestion I have is to do a reward sticker board or sheet... Give him a sticker each time he lets you do it... even if it's at first for a few seconds... Keep the sheet somewhere in the bathroom... When he get's three stickers, give him a prize..
Hope this helps! Happy New Year!
Judi M www.homewithkidz.info
My son is 2 1/2 and doing pretty well now. Make sure the brush his age appropriate and that you are very gentle when you brush. Give them lots of opportunity to swallow their spit. If they have a big gag reflex, use the little dental towellettes first to get them used to something being in their mouth. And to get them started, we used a reward chart and stickers. First he got stickers every day, then every other and then weekly. Just always stay positive and take your time doing it. It's a journey.... :-)
Christine Wadleigh (nathan and abigail's mom)
Christine (Nathan and Abigail's mom)
"There is nothing magic about brushing teeth in the bathroom" is what my kids' dentist told me today. "Let your kid lay on the couch with [his/her] head in your lap". This advice was to help me adjust my daughter's dental appliance, but it's great for toothbrushing too. My girls like to go through all the vowels while I brush their teeth. I also got childrens spin brushes because they work faster and clean more thoroughly... and it keeps the kids from playing with mine. It's really hard for the first few days, but eventually your kids will realize that mommy is the boss and that mommy has to brush my teeth. I went from having two kids who chewed on toothbrushes and sucked off the toothpaste to kids who ask to brush teeth and when we're through, run to the bathroom to rinse and spit. Good luck!
Kate.
Mom to Madelyn and Emily born 7/1/06
Wife to Matt since 8/22/03
Kate.
Mom to Madelyn and Emily born 7/1/06
Wife to Matt since 8/22/03
My son is 3 and I am also still having issues with him brushing his teeth. He wants to do it on his own and then he ends up eating the toothpaste. I try to show him how it is done, but he is in the stubborn stage and wants to do it all on his own and gets very aggrevated. I would keep consistant, demonstrate it again, and try to stick to a routine.
Vicki
www.luxurylittles.com
When my daughter was 2, I had the same problem. I used to ask her if she had (insert any animal or favorite thing here) a tiger in her mouth. Then I would brush it away. She would laugh hard and long enough to open her little mouth and it would be a fun game to get us through the task. After a while, she'd get into the game and pick her own animal and tell me, "Mommy, there is an elephant in my mouth" and we'd brush it away.
(F) Stephanie
(F) Stephanie
Answer this question
My 2 year old and 6 year old LOVE Toofus McGoofus, a singing toothbrush holder that actually sings the proper way to brush your teeth as well as times the 2 minutes that brushing takes place. We have to close the bathroom door so he can't brush his teeth 100 times a day.
You can order one online at Toofus4kids.com
It's great!