Two year old teeth brushing help!

[mommytoallh]

Help! My just turned two year old refuses to let me brush his teeth. He used to be fine about it but now it's awful. I have to hold him down & he screams & turns blue and he even vomited the other night because he was so upset. He needs his teeth brushed, but I can't fight him like that every time. Any suggestions?

[DaisyMay]

Tough one - my 21 month old went through a bit of tantrumming at teeth-brushing time recently after having been fine previously.  With her I think I may have been brushing too hard or too far back when she had sore gums and then even after I went super super gentle she didn't trust me for a while!  Try breaking the routine - brush in a different place (sat up on the kitchen counter or in front of the mirror) - try singing favourite songs.  Maybe a funky new toothbrush that lights up or something? I explain to my daughter that I will be very gentle and that I won't hurt her but that we have to brush her teeth and I want her to be happy with it but if she screams I'm still going to brush her teeth.  What worked with us was having her Daddy brush her teeth for a while, and now she's mostly happy for me to do it again. 

[sobamom]

My toddler is about the same age and also recently started hating having her teeth brushed I do think it might have to do with the molars coming in and so it's painful. Has all your son's teeth come in yet?

[Mommy2twingirls]

Have you tried imitation??  My girls were doing this to me also, so I took them to the bathroom and put them on the counter with their toothbrushes in their hand.  I got out my toothbrush and started brushing my teeth.  Then they started to imitate me with their toothbrushes.  Of course, I had to go over their teeth again because they didn't get all over but they didn't throw so much of a fit this time since it's something they see mommy do now.  That's been our regular routine now, they watch mommy and then mommy watches them 

[Momma2Gianna]

When my DD is being a pain about brushing, (she is 2.5) I ask her if she wants to do it.  She usually says yes.  I let her hold the toothbrush, and I put my hand over hers and we do brushing together - Granted, probably not as well a job as if I had done it myself.  Doing a half job one night a week is not going to ruin her dental health, and it's more important to keep the consistency and routine, as well as teach proper brushing methods to her, so this method works for me.  Good luck!  :-)

[colleen2851]

With DD, we "play dentist". She does an OK job but a few days a week, I need to do it. She thinks it's fun. Of course, she hasn't been to the dentist yet so she doesn't understand exactly what we're playing. We go on Monday though. If I pick up any suggestions, I'll share them!

[lifeguard]

Maybe I'm not putting enough importance on it but honestly if ds was putting up that much of a fuss I'd let it go for a bit. We give him lots of opportunities to brush - every time he goes into the bathroom at my Mom's house he apparently "brushes". I always let him brush for a bit while I brush my teeth & then I have my turn at his teeth. I ask him to open up & try to do it in as few quick goes as I can. Days that he simply clamps his mouth shut & refuses I let it be for the time being.

It is hard enough to get children to brush their teeth but to start it off being an awful thing just seems like a good way to set it up so they will always dread it.

[mommytoallh]

Thanks for all the advise/input. I am going to let him pick out any toothbrush he wants next time we are out. I hope that will help. I put a stop to all sweets until we resolve our problem. He isn't happy. I don't want to traumatize him and force him to brush. It's traumatizing for us both. I hadn't thought to check for molars... I am giving him an opportunity to brush several times a day. He isn't taking me up on any yet lol but hopefully he will turn around.