how can i get my son to brush his teeth?

Question

my son is 2 and he hates when i brush his teeth..and i try to get him to brush his own but he wont..he just chews on the toothbrush.. i try to calm him down while i brush his teeth by putting his fav. show on..(but i don't want that to be a everyday thing..where i have to put that on in order for him to let me do it) any suggestions?

Answer 1

Thank god I don't have kids.

Answer 2

Make it exciting. Tell him that he is finally old enough to brush his teeth. Take him to the store and let him pick out his own toothbrush (they have ones with disney characters, etc.) his own toothpaste, etc. Also, you could make him a chart and everytime he brushes his teeth, put a sticker on it and give him a small prize at the end of the week if he does it without complaining, etc. Good luck!

Answer 3

Hhehe... Isn't it fun teaching them... my lil bro started when he was like 2 we'd just do it for him he'd fuss yes, but eventually grew outta that and thought it was kewl.. hehe. But this two year old i babysat would see me brushing my teeth and then he became interested in it... so maybe try brushing yours and ask him if he wants to help you? It might spark an interest?... Also money may be an issue but if it ain't go to the store show him like 3 toothpastes like the barney one, scooby-doo, and whatever let him be the CHOOSER and maybe a toothbrush as well. But make sure ur like ooo this is cool, if he has older bro's n sis's he'll be into the cool stuff lol... my lil brother would go for anything when i told him it was cool. But yeah the kid i babysat just saw what was going on and became interested on his own. Maybe you can even try bringin the kid to the dentist and the dentist can suggest something. He could be too young too. Just like potty training.. it takes time :) ... keep the patience and enjoy :)

Answer 4

I have a 7 year old that still does not like to brush. I have to remind her everyday...until we found a "special" toothbrush. She found a toothbrush at Aldi's (of all places). We brought it home and found out that when you push up on the bottom, it blinks in red. It blinks for 1 minute (to remind them to keep brushing). She thinks this is the neatest thing ever. I am happy if she brushes for 1 min rather than not at all. Now she wants to brush them more than once a day.

Answer 5

At age 2 chewing on the tooth brush is fine. Just work out a deal with him that first he brushes then you brush them OR he brushes in the morning and you do it in the evening. Make a "Dentist" game up.. thats what I did and my kids quit fighting with me . Also I let my 2.5 yr. old daughter stand on a stool and brush her teeth next to me while I brushed mine. We did a follow the leader thing and she copied everything I did. She still likes to do this a year later. Just try to find ways to make it fun.

Answer 6

He's doing just what he needs to--chewing on the brush. Get some good tasting child safe toothpaste and just give him the brush. He will hit and miss some spots but the purpose of brushing at his age isn't to get his teeth squeaky clean it's just to teach him to get used to having the brush in his mouth.

Answer 7

I'm not kidding, rent JoJo's Animal A Go Go (Playhouse Disney) the last episode is called Brush your Teeth. It's got a really catchy tune (actually the tune is on JoJo's CD). My son brushes his teeth and I sing the song, plus after watching the episode he asks to brush his teeth.

Answer 8

My son was somewhat like that. His favorite cartoon character is Elmo so I bought him an Elmo toothbrush and toothpaste and in the morning when I brush my teeth he also brushes his teeth he watches me and does everything I do. You could also try cartoon movies that help them brush there teeth my son has the Elmo movie and it really helped

Answer 9

Hold him down if you have to.. It better then him needing to go to the dentist for fillings when he is only 2. Believe me I was a dental assistant and I was pretty sad when a child that young needs to come in for work done. So next time he refuses, or next time you feel bad about holding him down, think about how you and him are going to feel in the dental chair.
Don't let people tell you that you shouldent do work on baby teeth. They are going to have those teeth for a long time still if he is only 2. So if you just let a rotting baby tooth go then that is exactly what it will do. It will continue to rot. Aside for the uglieness of that rotting tooth, your child will also experience some pain from the cavity. Think about that.

Answer 10

Either you sing a song about brushing or you and he make up a song about brushing. Make it fun. Brush with him and talk about how his teeth need the attention from him that he gets from you. If he's little, you can keep it to..."You know how I love you?, well your poor teeth need YOUR love and the brushing is how you love them.

You can also reward him with little animals or fun little toys (not candy or food) after he completes him teeth.

The song you write should be as long as you want him to brush. And tell him that when you are done singing, he can be done brushing.

Answer 11

I suggest that you brush your teeth at the same time as him so that it is more of a game to him...my daughter hated to brush her teeth also so I used to stay at the sink with her and then make funny noises when I spit out....she would crack up and then she would be eager to brush so she could make a funny noise and spit out too.