toothbrushing

[Deleted]

Twice a day here, usually after meals. We don't do toothpaste yet, as they don't spit on command. They like to play with the toothbrushes in their mouth, and we let them, but always follow it up with us doing the brushing.

[fiveohfive]

We brush at least once a day, always after dinner and in the morning if she isn't too crabby. I always say the brushing teeth commercial that is on before Sesame Street (this might just be our local TV channel) and then tell her to say "ahhhh" and open wide. She does okay with it unless she's tired. I always brush first and then let her play around afterwards. Haven't taught her to spit yet, maybe tonight!

[redfraggle]

We usually brush before bed time. The kids both still use training toothpaste, but once DS has his 4th birthday, I'm switching him to fluoride toothpaste because he can spit now. I've found it works best to let the kids do as much of it as I can, and then I just do my best to get a few good swipes with the brush at the end. Sometimes I sing a silly song about brushing teeth.

IMO, having a positive experience is more important than getting every last plaque germ off the teeth. I've heard of parents holding their kids down to brush their teeth, and I wonder if they aren't creating a negative association for the kid.

[annarose]

Everything changed once we downloaded the Oral B Magic Timer app. We brush 2 times everyday (morning and night) and no arguments. She uses the brush for 2 while minuets while watching the app scrub away bubbles to reveal a Mickey Mouse or Minnie "sticker". While she doesn't have the whole "brushing" part down, I figure this is a good start. 7 out of 10 times she'll let me "check" and get some good brushing in when she's done. The app has tooth brushes that go alone with it - I've only seen Mickey/Minnie and Winnie the Pooh on the brushes for this age group. H had a good idea about scanning a Frozen themed big kid brush in the store to unlock those stickers lol we use Toms Training paste, no spitting action yet

*you can use the app without the matching toothbrush. The brushes just unlock different stickers

[sugarkissed]

Jul 6, 2015 8:40:21 GMT -5 fiveohfive said:

We brush at least once a day, always after dinner and in the morning if she isn't too crabby. I always say the brushing teeth commercial that is on before Sesame Street (this might just be our local TV channel) and then tell her to say "ahhhh" and open wide. She does okay with it unless she's tired. I always brush first and then let her play around afterwards. Haven't taught her to spit yet, maybe tonight!

Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows all of the Sesame Street commercials! "I brush my teeth two times each day...." We do the same thing.

We use training toothpaste and an Elmo toothbrush, so she enjoys it. I also let her play and put her toothbrush under the running water for a few minutes after I've brushed for her.  

[Unknown]

DD has had been really good about letting me brush her teeth, up until a couple weeks ago. Now I need to put her in a full nelson to get in there, and as long as I touch each tooth I'm good. I'm hoping it's a short phase.

Goal is twice a day with fluoride free training toothpaste, but if we are out late (how times have changed..before kids late would have meant after midnight, but now I mean if we don't get home until after 8...I digress) and she falls asleep in the car I won't wake her to brush. On the weekends I sometimes forget the morning brush, but since it's been a fight lately I try harder not to miss any brushings.

[nymama917]

We try for twice a day but if we get once a day in then I call it a win. She used to be good about it, but now it's more of a fight for me to get a "turn". We use training toothpaste sometimes....she seems more interested when it's on there so we've been using it more lately. I try to get a few good swipes of all the teeth and then I let her "brush". We have this singing bear my mother-in-law got but it's a full 2 minutes and there is no shot at getting her to last that long so we don't use it much yet. It's also annoyingly loud and I'm not a fan of listening to it

[joi922]

Glad to see this post and that I'm not the only one with tooth brushing issues We aim for twice a day, though sometimes the morning gets skipped (mostly because we forge occasionally - so on the weekends I make sure I don't brush my teeth until he brushes his to help remember). DS is pretty excited to brush his own teeth, but that generally just means he bits down on the toothbrush on one side and doesn't actually move it around. So I always have to follow up with my own brushing for him - and he's only 50/50 on being cooperative about that. It sounds like some of you have already started working on spitting with some success (although I wouldn't trust him with fluoridated toothpaste for a loooooong time), so I think that will be our next step! Who knows, maybe he'll think it's really fun

[happymama]

We try for once or twice a day, but aren't as consistent as we should be. DD loves brushing her teeth but gets mad and throws a fit if we try to help. We are working on getting her to let us brush and then she gets to do it herself, but she still isn't having any of that. Typically we wait for the meldown and then when she is shrieking with her mouth wide open we can dart in and give her teeth a quick scrub. I'm sure about the time she's old enough to do it herself she won't want to anymore :-P

[RedDDD]

we shoot for twice a day but sometimes they only get brushed once. We use toddler toothpaste. I noticed people talking about them learning to spit....hell my 3.5 year old still doesn't really know how to spit. My almost 2 yr old is just starting the phase where she fights me on the teeth brushing. I will probably do the same thing I did with DS when he started that....I just showed him a picture of someone with meth mouth and told him thats what happens when you don't brush your teeth. Worked like a charm

[carli]

annarose thanks for recommending the app. DD loves it and will now happily brush her teeth any time of day lol.

[annarose]

Yay carli!! Dad tries to use it multiple times a day as well!

[princessvespa1]

Jul 6, 2015 11:55:12 GMT -5 annarose said:

Everything changed once we downloaded the Oral B Magic Timer app. We brush 2 times everyday (morning and night) and no arguments. She uses the brush for 2 while minuets while watching the app scrub away bubbles to reveal a Mickey Mouse or Minnie "sticker". While she doesn't have the whole "brushing" part down, I figure this is a good start. 7 out of 10 times she'll let me "check" and get some good brushing in when she's done. The app has tooth brushes that go alone with it - I've only seen Mickey/Minnie and Winnie the Pooh on the brushes for this age group. H had a good idea about scanning a Frozen themed big kid brush in the store to unlock those stickers lol we use Toms Training paste, no spitting action yet

*you can use the app without the matching toothbrush. The brushes just unlock different stickers

We have this app too!  LOVE IT - especially for my 4 year old.  Except that he wants me to get all the Avenger toothbrushes, but they don't have them here in Canada - I will have to make a trip to the States shortly and see what I can find.

DD asks to brush her teeth.  She sees us in the bathroom getting ready for work, and she says "teeth, teeth" to us.

[salemkitty]

Jul 6, 2015 15:06:00 GMT -5 Unknown said:

DD has had been really good about letting me brush her teeth, up until a couple weeks ago. Now I need to put her in a full nelson to get in there, and as long as I touch each tooth I'm good. I'm hoping it's a short phase.

Goal is twice a day with fluoride free training toothpaste, but if we are out late (how times have changed..before kids late would have meant after midnight, but now I mean if we don't get home until after 8...I digress) and she falls asleep in the car I won't wake her to brush. On the weekends I sometimes forget the morning brush, but since it's been a fight lately I try harder not to miss any brushings.

This exactly for us.
I will have to try the toothbrushing app. I hate the fight.
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