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How do you brush your teeth?

How to brush 2 year old's teeth?

  • Up until very recently it was pretty easy to brush my daughter's teeth. She'd sit on my lap and let me brush. Then she got that stupid hand foot and mouth thing, and even after it was gone her gums were tender and she had just started getting in her molars. Her gums were swollen and bled easily and brushing was clearly painful, and she completely stopped letting us do it. There's no reasoning with her. No amount of singing, making it a game, nothing works short of holding her down and making it get done. I would rather force her than not do it at all, but I'd rather find a way to do it willingly than to have to force her. I know forcing her won't traumatize her or anything (I think the idea that it might is just preposterous) but I'm a realist and know that she's only going to get bigger and stronger, and if she continues to resist I may wind up with a serious problem. I want to reiterate that we've tried singing and brushing while her mouth is open, letting her do it herself, letting her brush my teeth while I brush hers, letting her watch me and daddy brush our teeth before we brush hers, nothing works, as soon as the toothbrush shows up she starts yelling "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO" and runs away screaming bloody murder. Any suggestions?

  • Answer:

    I had a similar problem with my daughter. She didn't have the hand, foot and mouth disease but she did hate getting her teeth brushed when she was at that age. That age is a difficult one because they want to be independent and if we say "blue" they say "green" no matter what. You're right, forcing her will not traumatize her, I had to with my daughter. What worked for me was we had a nightly routine. I usually brush her teeth while she is in the bathtub so that way she wouldn't run away or get toothpaste all over herself and then she knew what was coming. I told her "first Mommy, then you" and I would brush her teeth, then give her a chance to do it afterwords. Sometimes, so that she feels in control of the situation, if she wants to brush them first and then let me do it we do the routine that way. My daughter is going to be 5 in March now and she always remembers to brush her teeth, and loves doing it.

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You just have to be the parent and that means just doing it even if they are fighting the whole way. It will get easier if you keep the routine and do it at the same time every morning and the same time at night.

Benjamin

Try kids tooothpaste, if you were making her brush while her mouth was sore no wonder she scream I totally get you try not standing over her just hand her the brush an walk away no threats perhaps a little incentive like if she can get that done you will read her fav story or go to the park or. She can help make breakfast bring her fav doll brush its teeth missing a day or two of brushing won't hurt her get a fun kidz rinse suprise her let her open it sshe wants a little control the more you push the more stubborn she will get even if she just brush two teeth tell her good job put it away and continue her day. Don't offer sweets or money or make threats. Just accept what she does don't force her to do more she will do it eventually.

Reea D.

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