Help in brushing my 23 month old sons teeth!!

Question

ive done all i can trying to brush his teeth for him, i even given him the tooth brush his self but he just chews it for a second then throws it across the room, ive got him to say "ha hee" to make it fun while brushing which did work for a few weeks but now he wont let me!! and starts to cry, its got to the point i have to pin him down,but what else can i do?? he,s got the dentist next week and im scared they,ll find a prob, his teeth are very white and gappy, but im scared they,ll go brown and fall out!! im reducing the sugar he eats, and give him sugar free lollies sometimes and sugar free ice pops as treats, but this is doing my head in! anybody had the same prob when their kids were toddlers! thanks XX

Answer 1

My dad used to play a game with me. He'd sit on the edge of the tub and say "Let's play dentist!" then I'd climb up on his lap sideways and he'd make his arm slowly move backwards like the chairs at the dentists with the sound effects and everything. Then I'd have to open wide and he'd make funny remarks about the inside of my mouth while he brushed my teeth. If you son is under 3 years old, you really need to be brushing his teeth for him and assisting him, rather than just handing him a toothbrush. Good luck!

Answer 2

I had this same problem with my 26 month old.  I started brushing my teeth with him.  I will show him what I am doing and then he copies. I tell him what a good job he is doing.   After I am done brushing my teeth I give him my toothbrush and he gives me his.  He brushes my teeth while I brush his.  Make sure you keep you teeth together so he don't put your toothbrush down your throat.  

Answer 3

1 calm down

#2 try to put on his favorite music and have him brush to the beat

#3 talk to him about all the little germs in there and how brushing makes them go away

Answer 4

My 26mos old hates it too.  We have a few different brushes and use whatever one he will let me use.  I have a fingertip brush for when he will not let me and I need to hang on to him and stick my finger in his mouth and brush.  We have a colgate spin-brush with SpongeBob on it that he likes to try to brush with himself.  At least if he is only chewing on the brush-the head spins and has some brushing action going on and he will do it longer because he likes how it feels in his mouth.  We have a couple of regular brushes that we try to use and get him to brush with his brothers and sister-he brushes for a while and then lets me, but it usually doesn't work out that way.  I try to get him to make funny faces and stick out his tounge at me so he will act silly (and I laugh histerically) and I can reach all of his teeth.  He likes to spit in the sink a lot-so I let him take frequent spit breaks;).  Sometimes you just have to hold-em down and make them mad for a minute.  

Answer 5

I have never had a problem. I bought my kids a step stole, a tooth brush of the choice and their own tooth paste...My son who is 4 has a Shrek tooth brush and he had Batman and Power Rangers tooth paste. My daughter is 2 and got an Elmo tooth brush and Dora tooth paste, I sit my daughter on the counter...brush her teeth and then I let her have the tooth brush afterwards so that she can "brush her teeth" and then we clean up and go to bed....luckily I have never had that problem :)

I also told my kids the importance of brushing teeth. I showed them all my fillings lol and told them that that is what I got for eating too much candy as a kid and that they don't want to happen cause then the dentist gets a huge needle and puts it in my mouth and then he has to fill in the cavities....you may think its harsh...but its reality and then the kids know tha its important to brush those teeth! My kids tell me, "mom, we have to brush our teeth!"

Answer 6

Hey I have a 28 month old.And I work for a dentist. Ok what I did with my daughter to get her to let me brush her teeth is sing the Alphabet. or you can do whatever his favorite song is. But I would sing it all the way through on the top, then go to the bottom and sing it again. It helped her a lot. Sometime she would regress and wouldnt let me so I would have to lay her down in my lap and just brush them while she was crying.  Hope this helps

Oh and dont let him brush his self because you would be wasting your time, he cant get his teeth clean.

But you can brush his teeth first then let him "finish up"

Answer 7

Will he drink water.

Water after any meal or snack or food with sugar will help "rinse" the food off.

Will he at least rinse with a floride rinse.  

Maybe one of those that makes the mouth blue and shows where the plaque is sticking.

Maybe he would want to brush off the blue stuff if you explain that is the food that stuck to his teeth and will rot his teeth.