Teaching your toddler to brush her teeth is actually pretty easy, especially if you begin early in her life. Toddlers should take good care of their teeth so they don’t have dental problems and so that they develop good dental habits over time. The best way to get started is to let your toddler watch you every day as you brush your teeth and give her a toothbrush with toddler toothpaste. As you are brushing your teeth show your toddler how it’s done. Don’t worry that they aren’t doing it 100% or that their teeth are not getting as good a brushing as yours. What is important is that your toddler is learning how to brush her teeth all on her own and that she is copying you. Toddlers love to be like their parents and to copy them. So, they should go along with brushing their teeth as you are brushing yours. You may find an electric toothbrush is especially helpful because your child’s hand movement won’t matter as much.

As you go about this routine keep in mind that you are showing your toddler that brushing her teeth is an important part of dental care and something you do every day when you wake up and before you go to bed. More than likely your toddler will become accustomed to teeth brushing and won’t mind letting you go over her teeth to “check” them after she is done. She wants you to be proud of her and if you have to check her teeth with her toothbrush to make sure she did a good job, then she will probably let you. Always praise her and tell her what a great job she is doing!

If this routine does not work with your toddler, then you will have to brush their teeth despite their protests. This is hard at first, because you will literally have to hold them down and make them open their mouth while you brush their teeth. Try to explain to them that if they would brush their teeth on their own that you wouldn’t have to do that. Also, tell them that if they open their mouth you will gently brush their teeth to make sure they stay healthy. Over a few days your toddler may resist, but in time they will open their mouths and let you brush their teeth for them.

Posted in Toddler Time

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