# How on Earth do you brush your little toddler's teeth?



## earthwriter (Aug 5, 2011)

How on Earth do you brush your little toddler's teeth? I can't seem to figure out how to do this...I put some yummy tasting aromatic minty fennel toothpaste on his teeth and he makes faces and shakes his head and pushes the toothbrush away...I thought it might be a bit too soon to attempt to brush his teeth but his previous pediatrician suggested it...so...I'm not sure how to approach it...I know it's important and necessary...but it's such a struggle...we're looking for an open minded holistic pediatric dentist...I'm feeling so tired, I forgot what I else I was going to share and ask...thank you dear sweet Mamas for your gentle caring kindness.


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## est72 (Aug 7, 2013)

I would skip the toothpaste altogether (at least for a little bit). We try to play games--like we go on dinosaur hunts and have to scrub them away. We also got our 2 year old a cheapy electric toothbrush, and she loves to use it by herself. Since we eat pretty healthy foods and limit sweets, I try not to sweat being thorough at this age.


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## Vermillion (Mar 12, 2005)

The key is to make it fun! There are lots of different things to try. The one my 2yo likes the best these days is to brush away the sugar bugs and then rinse them down the drain!

Electric brush

Light up or musical toothbrush

Having him put his own toothpaste on. My little guy loves to put a little coconut oil (what we use) on his brush.

Let him brush your teeth while you brush his. try it in front or the mirror so he can watch.

Peer pressure! Look up videos on youtube of other kids brushing.

These are all some of the things we've done in the past to "spice things up"


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

Fennel? Ick! I bet that's not helping. Unless he usually likes fennel. But a lot of people don't, so maybe that's part of the problem.

I'm not entirely sure tbh. We have been brushing her teeth since she was <1 year old so at this point she just accepts it as routine. We give her the choice to do it herself or have us do it; if she does it, we follow afterwards. In the past we've sung a song but she doesn't seem to really need that part of the ritual.

I like the idea of brushing your teeth and letting him brush his at the same time.


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

As soon as they are eating/drinking anything besides breastmilk and water I try and get into a brushing habit. I don't use toothpaste, just wet the brush. Sometimes lay him down in my lap face up, sometimes have him upright. After age 2 I use non-floride toothpaste, and once they are rinsing well I'll use any toothpaste, though they don't like strong mint flavor.


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## manysplinters (Oct 1, 2012)

I treat it as something that is a fact of life - not something that can be argued against, or something that is optional (but I do that with meals, too, and some parents find that too firm). My main advice would be to make it fun, but non-negotiable.

My first child was good from the start with minty paste, while my second hated the mint and we switched to strawberry (blech!) - I think we're using Tom's of Maine. We only brush at night (but my kids never have juice, so if you give your kid juice, brush more often). I pretend the younger one is a baby bear, or a dragon, or whatever says "raaaaaah" and it seems to help. Sometimes having a "more respected than a parent" type adult brush the child's teeth makes a lasting impression - i.e. a grandparent or other important figure who very seriously talks to the child about what beautiful white teeth and how important it is to brush. I found my second child got very difficult when her 2y.o. molars were coming in, but once the lower ones had come through, we could tell her how great her "new big teeth" were, and how we needed to brush them very carefully - now she opens wide relatively easily. We always let the kids brush first, and then we "check" i.e. actually do the brushing. I don't care if the child sucks all the toothpaste off and eats it - it's the brushing that matters and we don't use flouride.

Good luck!


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## OtherSoul (Jan 14, 2012)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *manysplinters*
> 
> I treat it as something that is a fact of life - not something that can be argued against, or something that is optional (but I do that with meals, too, and some parents find that too firm). My main advice would be to make it fun, but non-negotiable.


That's exactly how we handle it too! Brushing teeth is a fact of life, not an option. Now my 2 year old accepts it and sits there mildly while we do it, then after we give him the brush and he does it himself.


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## sierramtngirl (Jun 19, 2013)

We have brushed DD teeth starting at <1 yr mark, probably around 7-8 months if I remember correctly. We had a period of struggle around 18 months, but that was remedied by "letting" her brush my teeth while I was brushing hers. Fixed the issue over night. Now at 21 months if you ask her what we do before bed, she says "brush teeth!" & runs in the bathroom.
I agree that the fennel paste might be part of the issue. We use honest co strawberry paste (I think it tastes totally gross but DD loves it, so whatever!).


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## gerago (Jan 26, 2014)

We really struggled with this and sometimes we just force it, but here are the tips that have helped us make it more manageable (aside from trying to make it fun):

#1- We use an unflavored remineralizing tooth powder from Uncle Harry's (it tastes a bit salty, but that's it). Our daughter loves it (it is the only dental product she will use) and other kids in our play group who have tried it love it, too.

#2- Start early. Don't wait until bedtime to start because once they are sleepy it is bound to become a battle (at least, it always does for us). Try to brush when the child is still awake (perhaps even soon after dinner). What often works well for us is if I tell my daughter that we can play a game together that she likes but only after we go brush our teeth (and the sooner we do it the sooner we can go play). This incentive-based approach has been one of the best.

#3- Swishing and spitting (in the sink) is, for us, an important part of the ritual and a bit easier to have fun with than the brushing.

That's all I got, but this was such a struggle for us! I hope these tips help make it easier on you.


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