My son is 22 months and he never allows me to brush his teeth … I have tried giving him the brush and I’ve showed him how to do it. He refuses. I have tried doing it myself and he shuts his mouth with force disallowing me to get in there. I’ve showing him videos of other kids brushing and shown him cocomelon JJ brushing teeth song and still no success. I don’t know what to do! Any suggestions?
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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I get my toddler to like brushing his teeth?
The Elmo brush your teeth song on YouTube 
did it for both my kids 
lol
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I had the same experience with one of my daughters. It’s so important though. If you need to, hold him down and brush them anyways…even if it takes half an hour. It’s so important to brush their teeth.
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My daughter used to do the same thing. I just started a routine of saying “time to brush your teeeeeeth” now she says teeth with me and opens her mouth. Start with the tiniest amount that they’ll let you. Build from there.
Do you use an electric & he feels ripped off he has a normal? My fussy little 2yo Ginge prefers to use the ‘real one’ over hers (I give her Hubbys while I use mine coz mine is ‘spicey’). My kid just loves the taste of the milky toothpaste for kids.
Dip his toothbrush in maple syrup or powdered sugar. 
Just kidding.
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Do you have tooth paste that tastes good? My daughter was the same then she liked putting it under the running water and back in her mouth over and over and eventually started brushing we also do the barney song and cocomelon too. Just keep on trying they get the hang of it eventually
Honestly I would force the tuthbrush in his mouth when he was younger my son is 3 now
He hated it but I would tell him he will forgive me when he has beautiful teeth when he’s older
He enjoys brushing his teeth now no forcing anymore he got the hang of it and also got more into it when he saw his older brothers brushing they’re own teeth
It may seem not ok but that’s how I got him to be ok with it
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Let him brush yours with your toothbrush while you brush his, it distracts them, worth a try, it worked for me 
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We use a free app called Pokémon Smile- it’s absolutely fantastic but is probably too old for your child though- has some cool hats to ware while you brush so they may like that. Xx
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Start without toothpaste, then after awhile just add the tiniest bit of toothpaste that doesn’t have a strong/minty flavour
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Try doing yours at the same time. Say time to brush our teeth and get the toothbrushes out. Sit him on the bathroom counter and help him brush his teeth while you brush yours. You may have to stop brushing yours at first to brush his whether he wants you to or not, then finish yours up and put the toothbrushes away and give him a reward of some kind for brushing his teeth. Then let him play for awhile before going on to your next activity. That’s what I did.
Let him brush your teeth at the same time you do his. It’s a great distraction.
There’s a hey Duggee tooth brushing timer thing that worked well for me
I tell my boy the dentist will take them out of there not clean he brushes them with no problems now
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I want to throw a different perspective on this, I’ve always hated brushing my teeth but until I found out I was neurodivgent I couldn’t see why. It was a normal part of life, why am I so reluctant to do it!? Well after a diagnosis I started looking at lots of issues I have personally and I realised the teeth issue is a sensory problem. I’m overloaded. Strong flavours, noise, multiple steps to remember, that burning mint thing… some things that might help: dimmer lights, a different type of toothbrush (I’ve seen silicone finger brushes and stuff, avoid electric because that vibrates your entire skull), mild flavoured toothpaste, rinsing with warm water instead of cold and having a list of steps, with pictures, to follow along with while brushing
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Have you tried a finger brush
Take him to the dentist. Make sure he doesn’t have anything wrong.
If he’s all good, no tv if he won’t brush. No cookies, sugary foods, etc unless he brushes. No juice, just water. Milk left on your teeth over night can cause cavities.
That was one thing I didn’t skimp on.
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Following. My 22m old boy currently has an electric barbie toothbrush because we have the same issue.
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I started with my son by always brushing my teeth in front of him and just let him watch him for a while.
Then I got him his own toothbrush and he’d still watch me, then started brushing his teeth himself.
Some people I know let the kid brush your teeth while you brush theirs!
Also my son brushes all his “babies” teeth. Does he have a stuffed animal he likes??? Try to keep “brushing” the stuffed animals teeth and then get him to brush his own too!
My kids love their electric brushes. They do a better job in my opinion. The only thing they haven’t quite figured out is spitting lol
Swaddle him a blanket and just do it. My eldest had cavities because i tried gentle parenting and i had to sedate her for cavities. Not with baby number 2. I decided to be the hard ass and now she brushes and i brush behind her.
I made a game out of it with my daughter an now she LOVES to brush. Basically I get real enthusiastic about and an count each tooth as I brush it really good then we excitedly count after each tooth. An then she gets to tell me how many shiny clean teeth we counted to.
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Give him the brush and just let him chew on it. You won’t be able to force him without making such a fuss that he will learn it mustn’t be a good thing if it’s getting you so worked up about it and he’ll continue to refuse
Mine loves his new one; it’s awesome… He would give me a hard time with an original toothbrush; he’s 2 and does awesome with it.
so my son has this big rubber shark toy, i got him a toothbrush to brush the sharks teeth and i would brush his teeth. or i would let him brush my teeth while i brushed his teeth.
there is also sensory issues with my son too, he is more of a seeker rather than an avoider. some kids just hate it because they hate it, but some genuinely have an issue with it, which would be a sensory thing.
Electric kids brush?
Let.him brush yours hahah if youre brave
Try those u shaped brushed it’s like a retainer but it has Brissles and a handles and it goes over all teeth at the same time
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At that age, all they really need is water on the teeth so drinking water should suffice if they won’t let you in with a finger scrubber to brush the teeth. By age 2.5-3, a huge mental maturity milestone will happen where brushing their teeth will become something they WANT to do, remember, no tooth paste until they know how to spit and not swallow everything. They’re too young for children’s tooth paste. It’s really just for prefixes, it doesn’t protect the teeth. So my best advice is to grab some water bottles of a brand that uses a little fluoride in their water & have them drink some before bed and even practice spitting.
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Electric character toothbrush
You’re the parent and its something that has to be done.
You may just have to sit him on your lap and just do it wither he likes it or not. Consistently asking and offering him the option to do it himself still.
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Has he seen Hey Duggee? They have a catchy little tooth brushing song, and if he follows along you can make him a tooth brushing badge! That helped for my little girl when she refused to do it :3
A reward chart will encourage him
Every time he does something he gets to put a sticker on that and at the end of the week he will get a small reward
Dollar stores have cheap small toys or whatever he likes say a piece of candy or a chocolate this worked for all my kids
I wish it still worked now
I brush my teeth at the same time as my 2yr old does. She likes to copy mummy.
Show him some rotten teeth being pulled out
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Maybe try a damp flannel/washcloth wrapped around your finger and wipe his teeth over. Then eventually step up to a toothbrush
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When my son was that age I had him brush my teeth while I brushed his, it was always super messy but it worked. Still works if he doesn’t want to brush and he’s almost 9
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Get a picture of his face when he is sleeping an crop a cockroach 
on his mouth and say at night time they r going into his mouth to poo on his teeth coz they smell so he has to clean them
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I have literally held my son down to brush his teeth because he doesn’t want to. I don’t care. I had to do it 3x now no problems ever. A friend of mine doesn’t force it and now her child has a disgusting mouth and it will cost a lot to fix. Brushing is not optional
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Honestly my kid really started when I threw him in the bathtub with it, he’d dunk it in the water and play with it eventually started “brushing” himself. Once he was good at that I asked him if he wanted toothpaste like mommy then I’d give him the baby toothpaste and it grew on him. Now he begs to brush because of the tooth paste
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What flavor tooth paste are you using
Mine only likes hello watermelon brand
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My son was the same way for ever until he got a cavity they had to put him to sleep to fit his tooth that had gotten pretty bad I was a nervous wreck!! Either way kids brushes now it was pretty traumatic for use both that and his cavity was giving him some serious pain until we were able to get him in now he brushes every single time in fear of a bee cavity so on the bright side he’s great now but before woof 
it could try All day and still not get it done he was so admit I do know a few tricks that work for my semi difficult child tooth paste they are very picks about what kind we buy the strawberry banana now with fluoride but you can get with out fluoride, we have a towel and wish water cup and a foot stool for them in each sonicare has a kids tooth brush they LOVES for kids and it works amazing they love the vibration 
super good trick 
it also has an app to for kids to show where they brushed lastly the mouth wash that turns pink where you missed kids love this with them being little I just dip their tooth brush in the cap and then brush it on that ways they aren’t accidentally swallowing that’s stuff 
good luck
I got a toothbrush that lights up, I let him push the button to turn it on, I brush, then give it to him to “brush” that’s the only way I’ve made it happen
The only way I could get my daughter into doing it twice a day was to add it to a chore chart and pay her 20cents each time. After about 2 months is explained she had to keep doing it but I wasn’t doing to keep paying her. She accepted stickers instead
We went to Colgate hum app. It dresses them up and they get “coins”. My little loves brushing now.
Let’s see. We tried different flavored toothpastes. I think the strawberry one was the preferred one. I took him to the store and let him pick his own toothbrush, and then we picked his favorite song to play while we brushed his teeth. We made it a game to see if he could keep his mouth open while the song was playing.
Try character or battery powered tooth brushes for kids. My kids love them. I’ve also let them use a special tooth brush that they pick out to brush their toy’s teeth. Brushing at the same time as him might also help.
A fun toothbrush let him pick his own toothbrush out good tasting toothpaste. Let him see you brush.
Elmo has a song and video on YouTube I used to play for my daughter
My three yr old loves bubble gum flavored toothpaste or sometimes it’s the picture on the tube we let her pick her own tooth brush out when we get new ones and when we need toothpaste she gets to pick that aswell.
She’s loves brushing her teeth she’s afraid of getting cavities from watching the one Ryan episode about teeth brushing
Get a cool toothbrush and make a “star sticker chart” make it fun- don’t let it seem like a chore
Give him the toothbrush at random times just so he likes it. Then it’s progress from there. If he feels like it’s a forced task, he won’t like it as much. Just like there’s cleaning toys, the toothbrush can be a toy and I’d make it a game 
positive association.
We YouTubed the “Elmo brush your teeth song”
It worked wonders and it’s quite catchy!!!
Give him the toothbrush to do himself and watch you while you brush yours.
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Following!!! I have a two yr old (as of Thursday)
Who is the exact same way!!!
Let him choose a new toothbrush he likes, flavoured toothpaste ?
I’ve always found the younger I get them into the habit of doing something the easier it is as they get holder. I used to do my boys before they had teeth, by the time they had teeth they were used to it. Same as dentist she’d have a feel around do they got used to it. Try not to make it an issue, like most kids, the more you try the more they push against it. Start leaving it within reach when he’s in the bath, when you’re brushing your teeth, hopefully he’ll soon start copying you… Good luck!! 
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My son who is 5 now and brushes was like that …the dentist told me to hold him down and pinch his cheeks to open his mouth…I absolutely did not do that and we got a new pediatric dentist…turns out mine didnt like tooth paste so once I stopped trying to force tooth paste he brushed fine we got a special tooth paste from the dentist that he likes and uses now…maybe try one of those u shaped tooth brushes that was gonna be my next step until he started doing it.
Ive always told my boys they will get ouchies on their teeth if they don’t get the yuckiest off of them. They’ve both been brushing since 9 months old so they don’t know any diff but sometimes they give me a heck of a time lol and I jus say you don’t want ouchies right!? We want clean sparkles white chompers! I try to make it fun and silly but important
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Let him brush your teeth first! And get good tasting tooth paste
I let my daughter pick her toothbrush and paste. We watched peppa go to the dentist and I practiced saying awww and eeee with her before even attempting to brush her teeth. I started off slowly, where I maybe only got to brush her teeth a little and slowly increased each day until she was comfortable with it. I also showed her a kids germ video and explained we have to get all those yucky germs off. If you make it fun they will want to do it but if you are even the slightest stressed they will fight you lol
Brush your teeth with him. I did this with my 8 year old son with autism and watching mom and dad to it interested him. Granted he tried to brush our teeth with his toothbrush lol but It did get him brushing on his own
You brush my teeth I’ll brush yours
Maybe let him pick a toothpaste or even toothbrush with his favorite characters on the container, that’s what I did with my two year old and haven’t had an issue since
We let my 3 year old and 5 year old go to the store and pick out their own “cool” tooth brushes, and toothpaste, they have several ones a cocomelon one, paw patrol, pj masks, their more excited now to brush their teeth than with a standard one.
Followin … Nearlly 18 m (2 of her face things r Coco & PawPaw if no one doesn’t know they r cocomelon & paw patrol - tried cocomelon song bowt teeth n also have an electrical paw patrol sky toothbrush (doesn’t like it on vibrate nethier) …
My granddaughter has been brushing her teeth for over a year, and she asks to do it herself, shes 2. Grandma (me) bought her a battery powered toothbrush with a character on it. She loves it!
Never had to deal with this problem. Our 4 daughters just brushed their teeth as part of their morning ritual.
I started my kids as infants 
My 3 and 4 year old love brushing their teeth and going to the dentist. Mostly they love picking out new tooth brushes and mouth wash 
My older kids I have to tell them to brush or else they skip
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I used to give my kids baby toothbrushes as soon as they could hold something. They had no teeth but used them to chew on . As soon as the teeth started to break the gum they started to ’ brush ’ with mum .
Ask the dentist about toothpaste …they do advise fluoride toothpaste as soon as the milk teeth break start to break through the gum but not adult paste obviously…my dentists child refused to use paste. He said plain water was just fine as long as they brushed.
Maybe letting him watch you brush while holding his own soft brush will encourage him to start or make a fuss about how nice your mouth feels and smells…let him smell your breath and feel your squeaky clean teeth . Always encourage and praise any attempt. Never force youll make him more determined not to .
why are you just now trying to brush his teeth at 22 months… Poor kid isn’t used to it. Keep trying. Maybe find a toothpaste that tastes good. My 16 month old loves me brushing his teeth.
There’s a toothbrush you can get that they brush their teeth and play a game at the same time. Not sure what it’s called
I lay my 3 year old with his head on my lap and I brush his teeth while I sing to him his favorite songs. That’s what his dentist recommended because he would put up a fight.
Refuses? He’s 2. Open his mouth and brush his teeth. Lol
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We got our two year old an electric toothbrush, and for the first little bit we brushed our teeth with him. Now he’s constantly asking to brush his teeth. We also let him pick out his toothbrush (spiderman) and toothpaste (paw patrol)
I’m on the same boat… I’ve literally done everything under the sun. Electric, regular, small, big tooth brushes. Everything. Every different type of toothpaste. Siblings brushing with her… me her dad, herself, tried letting her pick out her own set… lol literally videos and all. She hates it. We have to hold her down a majority of the time tbh. It’s either that or caps. And I won’t allow her teeth to rot if I have any way to prevent it. So that’s what has to be done for now. I will say around this age they’re getting their biggest teeth. Their back molars! Which are extremely painful for them and so that may be part of the issue with brushing! Good luck. I will add that it could be nothing you’re doing that’s causing this issue… I have 5 children and have never had an issue introducing brushing teeth… just she in particular hates it. So you’re doing great! Keep at it
Pediatric dental assistant 
Choices - 2 toothbrushes 2 toothpastes and ask him if he wants to go first or you. It makes them feel more in control.
laying your kid down gives you more control bc you have both hands free and you can actually see in their mouth. Sit in the floor on your butt with your legs out in a V shape, and then kiddo lays on his back with his head closest to you. At that point you can kind of move your legs inwards if they are moving too much. They’re not going to like it, At all… until it becomes a habit or routine.
let him brush your teeth with you laying down. Go get a plastic mirror at target and let him be the dentist on you. He sees you getting to brush your teeth in the mirror independently, he’s going to want to do the same!
We put kids to sleep multiple times a month to do extensive dental work on them (I had to with my first son because I didn’t know better and he didn’t like brushing his teeth and it was an exhausting fight)
But all these tips and tricks really actually do help. Consistency is key! Hang in there! 2-3.5 is hardest for brushing lol it does get better❤️
Try something like this so he can bite on this and still have mouth open Brushing Buddy™ – SnoofyBee.com
LOL…when you figure it out, let me know!! 
Watching Mickey Mouse my 8 month old grandson does it with his toothbrush
let him watch you brus your teeth, smiling afterwards & say, “Mommy did a great job” See if that works
Never had a problem with my kids. They just knew it was something we did at bedtime and in the morning.
Let him pick his own tooth brush and paste from the store. Make sure it’s like strawberries or something good like that. Then brush yours while you are trying to get him to brush his, make it fun and enjoyable.
Try having an older sibling show him and attempt to brush for him (and teach him). Let them go in the bathroom to brush without you (close the door or be out of their presence). He has locked you down, so to speak, but not necessarily you AND the toothbrush, etc. My 2 year old son adores his older brother (8 years old). So long as brushing was their own thing and my 2 year old did not suspect I was in on the brushing teeth scheme, he went with it. After a couple times, my 8 year old involved me, at first by showing me. It took several sessions but it worked like a charm. Sometimes kids get sick of doing new or challenging tasks for and with mommy. Mommy is hardly as much fun as big brother. Good luck.
