How can I make brushing my 18th mos teeth easier on both him and me?

He didn't get any teeth at all until he was a little over a year, so brushing teeth is still a fairly new thing to him. He likes to eat the paste and but hates when I brush...I try to brush real lightly but once I start he will not open his mouth again... He has 8-9 teeth already and so he really does need to have them brushed...but he just won't let me!

How can I make brushing my 18th mos teeth easier on both him and me?
Let him do it...You brush your teeth and get him to join in...My little boy does this..Then I finish them up for him..He thinks it is a game...Make it fun...
Reply:LOL sounds like my 2 year old..she loves to eat the paste and not brush..Just be patient and teach him how
Reply:they have really cute and fun shaped toothbrushes for toddlers @ target. also there's a battery operated see-thru "elec" toothbrush that has gears and things u can watch. its how i got my kidz 2 brush. gl
Reply:My son is 2 1/2 and he STILL doesnt like me to brush his teeth very much...he puts up a fight but I still make him do it....What works really well for me is I let HIM brush first (with no toothpaste, just water) and then when he has been doing it for a little while, I ask him if I can have a turn....then I put a little bit of toothpaste on it and I let him stand on the bathroom counter and watch in the mirror while I'm doing it so he can see all of his teeth, and then to get him to open wide I tell him "Roar like a lion" and that gets his mouth open wide enough for me to get the toothbrush in...and if he tries to shut his mouth I tell him to look at ALL his teeth in the mirror while I brush and see if he has as many as a lion has!!! Then, when I'm done with the back teeth I tell him to smile with his teeth shut and I get the front teeth, and then I tell him to OPEN WIDE and I have him tilt his head back so I can get behind his front teeth and he thinks its funny if I tilt my head back with him.....





You can go to the store and let him pick out whatever toothbrush and toothpaste he wants, that may give him incentive to want to use them...another thing that works REALLY well for me, is I tell him that I'm gonna make "bubbles" in his mouth and he gets to spit them out in the sink...(the "bubbles" are just the toothpaste getting foamy and then he gets to spit them in the sink), he thinks its hillarious, and it works every time!!





If he is REALLY putting up a fight and wont open or is being difficult, I tell him "FINE...you are gonna have cavity bugs in your mouth....thats YUCKY!!!" and I act like I'm putting his toothbrush away, it works EVERY time...cuz he HATES bugs so he wants me to get them with the toothbrush....





Good Luck....it can be hard sometimes, but dont back down, it is really important that our kids learn good dental hygiene at a young age!! Good Luck!! =)
Reply:Tell him that you want to tickle his teeth. Let him help. When he's all finished, give him a sticker for being a big boy! If it doesn't work, then you may just have to force him. Sounds horrible, I know. My daughter refused to let me brush her teeth when she was a toddler. I made her get them brushed anyway. As a result, we recently went in for her dental check up and she still remains cavity free at 5 years old! Also see about getting your son a vitamin from his doctor with floride, this will help prevent cavities.
Reply:Get an electric toothbrush from the character he watches most on TV. My dd didn't enjoy it much either until we bought a Dora electric toothbrush..changed our world! GL!
Reply:I let my 2 year old have his turn of brushing then I take my turn of brushing his teeth. I get him to open by asking who is in his mouth. I say, "Is Elmo in your mouth? Open up so I can brush him out!" He is eager to find out who is in his mouth (Every time it's someone different, Bob the Builder, Winnie the Pooh, etc). Also, have you told him why he needs to brush his teeth? Explain it simply. You're teeth are dirty and we need to clean them so that they don't get holes in them. It wouldn't hurt to have him pick out his toothbrush and toothpaste at the store. He might be more excited about the idea when he gets to chose the color he wants. (At the store give him two choices that are both okay with you. Anymore than two choices and it becomes confusing for him.) Good luck.
Reply:I bought my kids light up toothbrushes to show them how long to brush. Brushing with them is a great idea if they can brush their own teeth. If not then lay him down on his back and get the brush ready and just do silly faces for a little while then brush a little then silly faces again and brush. Brushing is the hardest thing to deal with besides potty training and other habits (terrible 2 and horrible 3's) Good Luck and remember children love attention and games so make it a game.
Reply:I like jennilee's answer its cute. Try her suggestion.
Reply:Routine. I get up every morning, say hi to my son tell him im taking a shower. Then i get out of the shower and bring him in the bathroom and we brush our teeth together. He loves it now and knows that when daddy gets out of the shower its time to brush our teeth. He actually looks forward to it.
Reply:When I brush my nieces teeth, I taught her to make the E sound that way, when she does it her front teeth are are close together and when she does it I do it with her she thinks it is a little game we play. When I am doing the back ones it is a little harder, b/c she wants to bite down, so usually I get her to open her mouth by openin' mine, while makin faces and then brush the back ones as quick as I can before she bites down. Once you get them in the routine it won't be so bad. Do it with them, they are like sponges they do everything we do.
Reply:I started my son on toothbrushing by having my hubby and I brush out teeth in front of him. He started brushing his own teeth pretty well just by watching us. I do follow up to make sure he is brushing well, but he hates when I try to brush his teeth for him. We have resorted to letting him watch television (normally we don't allow tv except for Sesame Street), and we have him watch tv in my lap while I brush his teeth. It has worked really well.
Reply:I started when my daughter had gums only and she is now 2 1/2 and it's still a struggle. Unfortunatey most nights I hold her limbs and if she cries at least her mouth is open.





I'll be checking other's answers for a better way.





Sometimes I have luck "looking for fun foods she ate that day". For example" I see the cookies, we have to clean those cookies out of your mouth."





Or I let her brush my teeth and I do hers. We do this for each side, front, back, top, and bottom





good luck
Reply:Tell me about it! Mine bites my fingers off !
Reply:My daughter has never particularly liked brushing her teeth, although she got her first tooth at about 3 months...





I always brush her teeth in the bath really good morning and night, and then again after she has her milk just before bed...





I sing her songs...





This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth.





This is the way we brush our teeth on a cold and frosty evening/morning (or whatever)...





She loves it and while we are singing I brush her teeth. She also has a turn...mummys turn, then Saiya's turn....





good luck...
Reply:Sometimes I told my son that the bug would eat his teeth if he doesn't or won't let me brush them. You should see how big he opens up his mouth. :-)



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