Tips for brushing your toddler’s teeth

Last Updated on April 1, 2024

Brushing your toddler’s teeth can be a battle. You need their teeth to be brushed properly, but they just want to eat the toothpaste, smear it on the toilet seat, and run and hide with the toothbrush.

If toddler toothbrushing is a battle in your house, here are some tips for brushing your toddler’s teeth, which will make this part of toddler life less stressful.

Let them choose a toothbrush

Toddlers love to have a say in things, so letting them choose a toothbrush is likely to increase the chances of them using it.

There are many different toothbrushes that your toddler can choose from, including:

• Character toothbrushes
• Light up toothbrushes
• Musical toothbrushes
• Electric toothbrushes
• Toothbrushes with timers
• Toothbrushes with suction cups

Use toothpaste your toddler likes

The flavour of toothpaste can determine how easy it is to brush your toddler’s teeth, because the more they like the flavour, the more likely they are to brush.

For example, my toddler likes fruit flavoured toothpaste. If I put mint flavoured toothpaste on his toothbrush, he won’t brush his teeth.

Finding toothpaste that your toddler likes the flavour of will take some trial and error, but to help with this, here is an Oral B toothpaste comparison chart.

When putting toothpaste on your toddler’s toothbrush, it’s recommended that you put a rice grain size amount on their toothbrush before they’re 3 years old, and a pea size amount after they’re 3 years old.

Read toothbrushing books

Books can hep with all sorts of toddler activities, including toilet training and toothbrushing.

Here are some toddler books that you can read to your toddler about brushing their teeth, which may help them to realise how important toothbrushing is:

• Why Should I Brush My Teeth? by Katie Daynes, illustrated by Marta Alvarez
• Brush, Brush, Brush! by Alicia Padron
• Hey Duggee: The Tooth Brushing Badge
• Peppa Pig: Dentist Trip

Make toothbrushing easy

Another tip for brushing your toddler’s teeth is to make it easy for them, which means finding a way to make it comfortable for them.

This means letting them brush their teeth whilst standing, standing on a chair instead of a step, or sitting down.

Make it part of their routine

Toddlers love routines, because routines give them clear expectations on when something has to be done, and they also give toddlers advance notice that something has to happen, which is also a great way to deal with toddler tantrums.

You can make toothbrushing part of your toddler’s routine by pairing it up with another part of their routine.

For example, in the morning you could make toothbrushing part of your toddler’s routine by doing it after breakfast, and before they get dressed.

At night you could make toothbrushing part of your toddler’s routine by doing it after they get their pyjamas on, and before their bedtime story.

Make it fun

Toddler’s love to make games out of anything, so making toothbrushing fun could be just what’s needed to get your toddler to do it.

Some ways that you can make brushing your toddler’s teeth fun include:

• Singing toothbrushing songs
• Brushing their favourite toy’s teeth
• Letting them brush their favourite toy’s teeth while you brush theirs
• Letting them brush your teeth
• Getting them to open their mouth like a dinosaur while brushing their teeth
• Making funny faces as you brush their teeth

Let them be independent

Some of the ways to encourage independence in toddlers is to let them brush their teeth.

When they’ve finished brushing you can quickly brush them yourself, making sure to brush their back teeth, so their teeth are brushed properly.

Let them copy you

Toddlers learn by copying others, so getting them to see you brush your teeth, and explaining what you’re doing as you do it, gives them the confidence they need to brush their own teeth.

Reward good behaviour

Toddlers love praise, so rewarding them with praise by telling them how well they’ve brushed their teeth is something that may encourage them to continue to do it.

Brushing your toddler’s teeth won’t always be easy. They’ll be days when they’re happy to do it, and days they won’t want a toothbrush near them.

Being consistent, trying some of these tips, and finding ways to help your toddler will make brushing your toddler’s teeth easier over time.

How do you get your toddler to brush their teeth?