tips for brushing a toddler's teeth?

Does she understand swish and spit? If so, you can buy her the pre-brush stuff that is made for kids. They swish it around their mouths before brushing and it turns the tartar blue (or whatever color you buy). That way you know if she got all the spots and it is a guideline for her as well. It is normally found in the mouth wash aisle. I believe the one I bought for my son is made my Listerine.

We just recently started brushing my son's teeth. He has major issues with anything inside of his mouth, and for a while would not even eat food. I've been trying to put a little tooth paste on his brush and the last few times he's actually opened his mouth. He gags alot though because he don't like it too much, but we are working with him trying to get him used to it. I'd like to read some tricks that anyone has as well.

My daughter doesn't like brushing her teeth unless she uses my brush so i went & bought an identical brush to mine so she does her teeth & thinks she's using my brush! We always brush teeth together & in the shower (she wont use the bath) so everything gets done when it should. Ignore the comment someone said about them ONLY being baby teeth - you don't wanna use that attitude because my sister in law went on that assumption & by the age of 5, my niece had to have every last tooth ripped out - before the rotting teeth went through the gums & would affect the adult teeth. My daughter will let me brush all her teeth except the front ones (top & Bottom) but i just hold her still & give them a quick brush - then i let her have a 'bribe' which is usually just a piece of apple or something that wont undo ALL the good work i've done!

I have three girls close together, they all brush their teeth together and compete with their brushing styles! The way I got them started is that we have a song to brush our teeth with and they have heaps of fun frothing at the mouth while they sing and brush - its all about fun! I also get them to have a go brushing their teeth and then their dolls teeth and then their teeth and their dolls teeth. I also tell them how lovely it is to see their shining white healthy teeth throughout the day. I like to pretend their white teeth are blinding me when they smile at me - they love that game! I won't play it until theyre teeth are brushed and brushed well too! You could also take turns brushing eachothers teeth - my kids think its funny when they have a go of mine and make the toothpaste run down my chin! Realise as well that this is probably a stage and wont last together - don't make it a stressful occasion but a fun one instead!

Dental hygiene is important however, don't forget they are just baby teeth so let her enjoy her brushing. At least she has the right idea about oral hygiene. You have given her a good start. My daughter did the same thing for a while when they were little and it was just a phase so I let them get through it and then they finally allowed me to "help" them brush their teeth.

My son wont let me brush his teeth either. He used to just suck the toothpaste off the toothbrush. Then I started to brush me teeth with him and he would copy what I was doing.

My daughter went through this stage twice. Once when she was about two years old. And then again this year. The first time, we got her Elmo DVD where he learns to brush his teeth. And then she started brushing again. This year when she turned refused to brush her teeth again. And nothing worked. Not treats or logic. Nothing! We told her about cavities and everything, but nothing worked. Then her bottom tooth fell out. And ever since then she has been brushing her teeth two or three times daily with no problems. Turns out her mouth was sore cause she was about to lose a tooth and her teeth were hurting. And she never told me. With kids there is often no way to know when they are teething or about to lose a tooth unless they complain of mouth pain. The big sign for us was that our four year old kept chewing on stuff like a baby does. You might try a really super soft brand new kiddie toothbrush with her favorite cartoon character on it. We got the Spongebob brush and she really loved that. Maybe your daughter will let you check for loose teeth. And try lip gloss. That is my bribe and it always works! I use ELF and my daughter loves it! Best of luck! Beauty Queen

It may just be a sign of her getting her back teeth. My daughter use to be like that so i just laid the toothbrush where she could see it and let her walk around the house during the day with it. Now she is so excited at night time because we brush her teeth and she gets to watch herself in the mirror.