How do i get my son to spit after rinsing his mouth?

Question

My son brushes his teeth great, doesnt swallow too much toothpaste, but when we try to rinse, i got him the little dixie cups, and put just a lil bit of water in it, and he will swish it around, but then always swallows. He uses kids toothpaste, so i know its not that dangerous, but i still dont want him swallowing it. Ive tried making games of it, using the drain as a bullseye for him to spit in, etc, but he still swallows it. I dont think he can really help it, i think its just a natural reflex for him, but any ideas on how to help him to spit it out? He is 4, almost 5. Thanks!

Answer 1

Children under the age of 6 should not be brushing with toothpaste. Children, at age six, should use a small, pea sized amount on their brush. Adults should use a pea-sized amount that is only slightly larger than what a small child uses; never pile on the paste!

Swallowing toothpastes, especially fluoridated pastes, can be very harmful! Flouride is introduced into our systems many times a day through drinking water and the foods that we eat, and swallowing flouride pastes increase the possiblity of a toxic level in the body. If a child's system is introducted to a negative level of fluoride over a long period of time, fluorosis, permanent brown staining of teeth, can develop on their adult teeth.

Tell your child to 'watch mommy brush her teeth' and then demonstrate brushing and spitting, then tell your child to 'try doing what moomy just showed you', walking the child through each step, reminding them to 'spit all the sugar bugs out of your mouth so that you won't get a cavity', or something to that effect.

Answer 2

Yup, some people got this one right. Model the behavior for him. Brush you teeth either before or at the same time as you do your son's. Then you spit. After a few times of seeing you do, he should get the right idea.

Answer 3

We do the same thing with my 3 year old. I saw "ok lets swish with mommy *swishes* and then ok spit! *spits*". He likes doing the things I do so he spits in the sink. I said "ew dats nassy water don't swallow it". He's never actually swallowed it.

Now we're trying to get him to use his hand to cup the water from the sink. Yeah not working so great.

Just have him watch you and you do it with him. He'll learn.

Answer 4

Keep trying to make it a game see who can shoot the water out the farthest, that is what I did with my daughter, teach him how to gargle it too that is fun for kids, until they decide to do it with there milk at dinner, look at it this way atleast it is water not floride that can upset his tummy, just keep reminding him to spit it out because after he brushes there are cavity bugs in the rinse water and tell him he doesn't want to swollow it because then they will be in his belly...good luck

Answer 5

I swallowed my toothpaste until I was a pretty big kid. I've only ever had one cavity (I'm 33), and I think they were being overly cautious calling that a cavity. Not saying there's a connection, but maybe it's not such a bad thing to let your kid swallow the toothpaste.

Answer 6

the guy above me is an idiot!
I let my daughter spit it out over the bath tub, i give her a cup and say thats your spit water. at first she was the same, she would always swallow, and even tho it isnt dangerous, its still not the most pleasent thing.
Show him how to let it dribble out of his mounth first, he might not be able to spit, because he doesnt realise that once its in his mouth he can actually spit it out.

Answer 7

Have a contest with him. Brush your teeth with him and see you can spit the farthest (aiming for the sink of course).

Answer 8

Say if you spit i will give you a Cookie