eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Teach a Toddler to Brush Teeth

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

Properly brushing your teeth is an important part of dental hygiene that most adults understand. Toddlers, however, have a different idea of what constitutes a clean mouth. It take both patience and creativity to teach a toddler how to brush teeth.

From Quick Guide: Teeth Cleaning
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Begin by brushing their teeth for them. Dentists agree that it's the parents' responsibility to ensure that a child's mouth is clean until the he is six years old. You must use the correct form of brushing when you brush a toddler's teeth since this is the first lesson he gets in dental hygiene.

  2. Step 2

    Let her brush her own teeth. Most toddlers enter an independent stage where they want to do things for themselves, so let her brush her teeth if she asks to. After she has finished, re-brush her teeth to make sure they're clean.

  3. Step 3

    Make brushing teeth a fun game. Brush your teeth at the same time and see which one of you can brush longer, or play hide and seek and have him find where plaque likes to hide.

  4. Step 4

    Create a tooth brushing song, incorporating words for the different parts of the mouth. You can use words like up, down, top, bottom, left, right, inside, outside, front, back and tongue. If your toddler is learning these words, tap the parts of her mouth that correspond to the word.

  5. Step 5

    Use dental tablets. A dental tablet is a cherry flavored tablet that is designed to leave a red stain on plaque. Your toddler needs to chew it for 30 seconds and then spit. Have him swish his mouth with water and spit again. See if he can get all the remaining red off of her teeth while she brushes her teeth.

Tips & Warnings
  • Do not leave dental tablets where your toddler can reach them.

Post a Comment

Post a Comment
  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This

Related Ads

Get Free Health Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

Live Strong Partner
Livestrong_eHow Health