How to Teach Toddlers to Brush Their Teeth

Hopefully, you have been brushing your child’s emerging teeth since he was an infant. But when it’s time for your toddler to begin learning this skill himself, you’ll need to equip yourself not only with the right tools, but with patience as well. Read on to learn how to teach toddlers to brush their teeth.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Toddler-sized toothbrush
• Toddler toothpaste
• Fun music
• Stickers

1. Pick the right tools. Toddler-sized toothbrushes are the ideal softness and size for your child’s mouth, while toothpastes made for toddlers are typically fluoride-free so kids can’t harm themselves if they swallow more than they should. If he’s old enough, let him pick out his own toothbrush, or choose one with a cartoon character that will appeal to him.

2. Let your child get used to the brush. Most kids will put anything in their mouths, so make your child’s toothbrush available to her during diaper changes or other inactive times. The more she is used to handling her toothbrush, the easier it will be to get her to brush properly.

3. Ask him to mimic what you or dad do. Grab your own toothbrush and demonstrate proper technique such as brushing in a circular motion. It’s hard for kids to learn how to do something if they can’t see it.

4. Make it fun with music. Put on your child’s favorite song or music from her favorite movie, which gives her a beat to brush to and also encourages her to brush for a longer period.

5. Initiate a reward system. Until brushing is second nature, reward your child every time he brushes his teeth--even if he still needs a bit of help from you. It’s the pattern that’s important right now. Perfect technique will come with practice.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure rewards don’t counteract the positive work done by brushing. Instead of food rewards, hand out stickers or give her a few extra minutes of play time.
• If your toddler is objecting to having her teeth brushed, you need to identify whether it’s the toothbrush or toothpaste that’s causing the problem. To do this, put a small dot of toothpaste on her finger. If she won’t put it in her mouth, she probably doesn’t like the taste of the toothpaste. Try a different flavor.
• As a temporary answer to a toddler who won’t let you near his mouth with a toothbrush, teach him to wipe his teeth with a damp cloth in the morning and at night.