https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:49:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715244 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 16:29:43 +0000 lioneyes 2715244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we do it in the tub. i let him brush mine first, then i do his. 24-27 months he hated it but now he lets me do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715192 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 15:35:36 +0000 gingerbebe 2715192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>FYI, I've found the Oral B Winnie the Pooh brushes work the best for us - they have a wider head with shorter brushes and it helps us get the brushing done faster and more effectively. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715123 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 14:19:01 +0000 Pumuckl 2715123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We let our kids do as much as possible by themselves, so let them choose the toothbrush at the store, which toothpaste to use (we have 2), put the toothpaste onto the brush and then they get to do the first round themselves. After that they know it's mummy's or daddy's turn. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715120 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 14:17:33 +0000 Coral 2715120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@newlypregnantlady: I so could have written this! I am sure it gets better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715117 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 14:16:20 +0000 Coral 2715117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>On a rare occasion, he cries a little bit or is distracted by something. Most often, I just have to hold him down and let him cry so his mouth gets bigger. I absolutely hate doing this twice a day, but not brushing teeth is not an option and I figure he won't be scarred forever. We just had a really successful first dentist visit so I am glad I am being persistent. I love the idea of having LO brush my teeth first, so I will try that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715111 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 14:08:39 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2715111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I let DD brush first and then I tell her it's Mama's turn. If she won't cooperate then I hold her down. It's not pleasant but I tell her that brushing teeth isn't optional. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715110 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 14:07:48 +0000 PixieStix 2715110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We tell our son (now 3) that he has to brush his teeth or he gets a time out. We sing to him and make funny noises while we brush that makes him giggle. Then at the end we say "tiger teeth!" And he grits his teeth and grrs so we can get the front ones.</p> <p>Some nights he whines and starts to refuse but we almost always get them. We just make it as quick as we can. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715096 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 13:53:01 +0000 snowjewelz 2715096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had to switch it up once in a while, when she got tired of one thing! So we first got her an electric brush just like ours and she liked that for a while. Then we let her watch the Elmo brush teeth song and that was all good for a while. Then we did the you can brush my teeth then I brush yours thing. </p> <p>Recently she went for her 2nd dentist visit, and she hated it! So now we tell her she has to us brush her teeth so the dentist doesn't have to do it, and she complies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715029 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 13:02:11 +0000 Banana330 2715029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're kinda hit and miss. She will suck the tooth paste off her tooth brush happily and even ask for it. But some days she won't let me brush her teeth at all and she doesn't do it very well. Others she's fine. </p> <p>We get her to brush away the different foods she ate for dinner, which she likes but if we try and force us doing it on her, she pokes her tongue over the brush and you literally can't get to her teeth! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2715012 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:53:33 +0000 psw27 2715012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I let him do it at first and then I take a few swipes as well. Plus he likes his dentist so I always say that he has to be make sure he does a good job for the dentist. Oh and there is some annoying Daniel Tiger song that I sing sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714999 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:48:18 +0000 newlypregnantlady 2714999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Literally the only way I can brush my 19 month old's teeth is by pinning her down. It's a struggle every single day. I even started when she was a small baby with a finger brush, and it was fine until she hit about 15 months and since then it's been awful. I've tried different brushes, having her brush my teeth, videos, books, letting her brush first, and nothing works. But I'm not willing to let it go (I already feel guilty that she eats so many raisins and carby foods), so I'm just hoping one day it will change. Honestly some days are okay and I try to reinforce with praise those days, but that's maybe 1x per week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714989 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:42:34 +0000 jhd 2714989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These are the things that have helped us. </p> <p>Books about the dentist/brushing teeth. Peppa pig is our fave.</p> <p>Cool toothbrushes that light up or have his favorite characters. He currently has like three in rotation and he picks which toothbrush he wants to use and which toothpaste.</p> <p>Letting him do it himself is huge. He takes a turn, I take a turn and we keep going until I'm satisfied that we have gotten all of the teeth! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714979 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:37:18 +0000 Winterbee15 2714979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS just turned two and will sit and let me brush, but quickly tries to push the brush away. I started to make a game out of it by asking him to "touch your toes, touch your ears, touch your knees!" etc. to distract his hands. It has definitely helped! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714976 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:34:48 +0000 Littlebit7 2714976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, totally. I'd say months 17-22 were AWFUL. Like, I had to physically hold her down straightjacket style just to get a few swipes in. Screaming, crying, full-on awful. 23 months got better, slightly, but still would revert to awful. She'll be 2 in two weeks and we seem to have made a small breakthrough if its any consolation to you.<br /> She hated the dentist. It was awful too.<br /> We got a few books about dental stuff. We also got into the habit of letting her sit on the sink and I tap on the mirror to get her to look, and then we'd each brush our teeth. And then its "my turn" and I stand behind and slightly to the side and brush her teeth with my left hand (I'm left handed) and grasp her R shoulder to stabilize her. I get 15 second bursts in, and then we alternate. I wouldn't say its awesome, but its definitely less terrible than before. Sometimes I trickle water on her feet from the faucet to distract her.<br /> Good luck. I don't know about you, but this is definitely my least favorite part of the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714966 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:28:04 +0000 SugarMaple 2714966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I have this issue as well. I really don't want my son to hate brushing his teeth, so some days I let him get by with less than perfect brushing. Most days he lets me help, but when he is insistent on doing it himself I let it slide. He will still usually take verbal prompts, 'Get the stinky tooth on that side!" or something silly like that, but it's not perfect. Luckily, I think he has 'my' teeth which are strong. He likes brushing his teeth.<br /> I like the idea about letting him brush mine and taking turns--I may try that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714964 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:26:27 +0000 PawPrints 2714964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hold DD while DH brushes her teeth, but she actually really likes it. That wasn't always the case but we started singing a teeth-brushing song and DH would do a ridiculous dance, and that helped a lot. Now it's just part of the routine that she expects. She loves patterns and routines so she'd be upset if we skipped it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714963 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:26:05 +0000 catgirl 2714963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD hates brushing her teeth, she always has. For awhile she would cooperate if I let her brush my teeth while I brushed hers. We've tried using countdown timers and switching turns each time it goes off. We've found songs she likes and tell her she has to let us brush for the whole song.</p> <p>But if none of those things work we just hold her down. It sucks. I hate that it is a battle twice a day every day... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714957 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:16:52 +0000 gingerbebe 2714957@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We lay our son down with his head in between our legs and our legs over his arms. He's basically pinned down and immobilized. Then we sing a few of his favorite songs while we brush him. Sometimes if he's really fighting and wants to brush himself, we let him hold a second brush with toothpaste on it while we brush him and he can follow up after. He's 30 months and we've been doing it this way since he was a year old. We have extremely cavity prone teeth and my son's teeth are very close together so I can't let him do it himself. But he's honestly not that bad about it most of the time. He just lays down when we ask. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714936 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:37:35 +0000 Anagram 2714936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My youngest used to hate tooth brushing, but after going to the dentist, I think she "got it", and now she's okay with it most of the time. I even floss whenever I remember, with no issues. She's 19 months now and we went to the dentist around 15 months maybe. It's been smooth sailing since and before there were a lot of tears and power struggles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714935 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:37:15 +0000 Raspberry 2714935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also have a tough time with DS (almost 2.5).</p> <p>The tricks that have helped as of late are letting him "help" brush my teeth while I brush his, or taking turns. He gets a kick out of saying "my turn!" in between the times I declare mama's turn so I brush a few at a time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/toddler-teeth-brushing-1#post-2714931 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:30:22 +0000 SweetCaroline 2714931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Am I the only person who has an awful time trying to brush DDs teeth? I'm terrified they are going to rot out of her head. She hates it...sucks the toothpaste off the toothbrush and runs away.</p> <p>She gets fluoride varnish at each well child visit and doesn't eat sugary food (but plenty of carbs and other plaque-causers). </p> <p>What tips/tricks can you offer?</p> <p>ETA: she's 25 months </p>