I can't get my daughter to brush her teeth!

YUCK! I'm so annoyed over this, but she just won't do it. She will brush with no tooth paste, but the minute I put some on she refuses. She won't let me do it either.

Any tips on how to get her to brush her teeth!!

[abbysmommy4]

My dd was so bad with it her gums started to bleed from not getting brushed properly.  I took her to the dentist at 15 months old and her gums were irritaed from the plaque.  Anyway the dentist tried to show me ways to hold her down to brush, but none worked.  I had to litterally lay her down on the bed and straddle on top pf her to hold her down while dh brushed her teeth.  We did for almost a year.  She is now 2 1/2 and is a little better with it, but boy is she hard headed.  As for the toothpaste, ask you ped if it is fine if you don't use any for now.  As long as you can brush the teeth that might be good enough until you can get her to try some toothe pastes and find one she likes.  Good luck, I know it is a pain........lol

[Brooklyn718]

How old  is your daughter? my son use to hate the toothpaste too...but are you using kids toothepaste or TRAINING TOOTH PASTE?  i had to use training for a while even past the age of  2....they have banna and apple flavor which was the only training tooth paste he liked!!!!!!!and it was almost $5 for a little tube...try that,made by giggles i think, they have one by orajel with elmo on it, toys rus will def. have it.they have other flavors too like berry....but you will have to use that first....and wait a while before she uses toddler/kids toothepaste...and teach her to rinse /spit it out if she dont like it..that worked for my son and he is now 3 1/2 and uses the diego toothpaste..Good luck!!

[margypops]

Let her use water , and back off a bit see if she will do it byherself you could use positive words to help, do not  hold your Daughter Down this will frighten her, try the  water to get her used to the brushing Habit.then bring back toothpaste , dont feed into her not wanting to Brush or you create a power struggle about it.

[TimmyVD]

nope! I have used training toothpaste, regular toothpaste (a very, very small amount), plain water....nothing works. She just wants to play with the toothbrush. And what makes it worse, she will pretend to brush her teeth, but not actually do it. She's 2.5 years old.

[Jlfg]

Diffently try training toothpaste.  Back off of it being an issue. While you are brushing your teeth, put her training toothpaste on her toothbrush that she gets to pick out at the store.  Then leaave her alone.  If she pretends to brush (or like mine she ***** the toothpaste of the brush and then says she's done), that's fine, at least she's getting in the positive habit of the idea of brushing, and putting the brush in her mouth without getting in trouble.  Then afterawhile, when she's brushing, say "ok mommy needs to help get that icky stuff off your teeth."  If that doesn't work say "ok, well let me put more toothpaste on yours so you can do it again."  Does she stand infront of a mirror?  I noticed mine likes to watch herself in a full lenght mirror while she's "semi-brushing her teeth".  Then I bend down next to her with my own Dora toothbrush and training toothpaste and brush her teeth while she's playing around with her toothbrush in the mirror.  Keep us posted. I hope all this made since.  I kind-of type like I am talking to the person right infront of me.  My punctuation is horrible.

[margypops]

For Timmy,  He he ,so do I ,glad someone else does it.your ideas for her brushing are great .