2.5 Year Old and Brushing Teeth

[LCoulter]

I have been brushing my DD’s teeth now for about a year. She is still using the training toothpaste that is safe to swallow and I have made no effort to teach her to spit and rinse because I am still working on her coordination to brush her tooth. She tries to brush her teeth at this point but it isn’t a very good job because she doesn’t have the coordination yet but she is slowly improving. She does allow me to finish up the brushing process, although some nights she is difficult and just doesn’t want to do it so I give up fighting her. Some nights she is really good about the whole process.

She is only 2.5 at this point but my DH seems to think she should be using the regular toothpaste by now and brushing and rinsing all by herself. Neither one of us have any experience with young children so we just aren’t sure. I think she is doing fine and is on track and that it is too early to expect her to brush with regular toothpaste. I think DH is expecting too much.

How are your toddlers doing with teeth brushing? Are they using training toothpaste or regular?

Thanks.

 

[Bastiansmom]

You are fine. My son is 7 and I still occasionally brush his teeth for him just so I know they are getting cleaned really well. I don't think we started using real toothpaste until he was 3-4. I never had a probably with him spitting, that was he favorite part! (still is)

 

[kevschickee]

you should be teaching her how to spit. My 3 year old is using the reg toothpaste an does do great with spitting and rinsing. It is important to start reg toothpaste asap says my daughters dentist. She just had 3 teeth filled and I wish I started it earlier. So start working on the spitting now with the fake paste and move on with the reg stuff. Good luck!!

 

[dsneybride]

My little one is turning 3 next month and she uses regular kids crest. She loves the spitting part and even tries to to gargle like her older sister!!

 

[brergnat]

It's actually OK to use the KID'S toothpaste even if they don't spit. Just use a TINY TINY amount. Like, the size of HALF a pea. The training toothpaste does not have fluoride, and is more for babies who only have a couple teeth. You should move up to kid's formula toothpaste at this point.

Toothpaste actually works BETTER if you do NOT rinse and spit. Especially for little kids who need the flouride protection.

Do NOT use adult toothpaste for her, though, as it contains a lot more fluoride and swallowing it can be harmful.

You should start trying to teach her to spit, but that takes a lot of coordination for some kids. My 3.5 year old boy STILL does not spit...and he likes to EAT toothpaste, so we have to actually have to hide the stuff in upper cabinets between brushings.

 

[Manda]

We started real toothpaste and rinsing and spitting pretty young because the fluoride is pretty important. However, even at 6, I still finish up brushing DS's teeth on many nights just to make sure they get at least one good cleaning a day (he does the morning brush himself). Even standing over him and lecturing him while he brushes, he still doesn't really seem to be adequately cleaning each tooth. He also has followed up with a fluoride mouthwash as soon as he mastered rinse, swish, and spit. Makes me feel slightly better about the places he misses.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

My kids have always used regular toothpaste on the advice of the dentist. I have children younger than yours and they know how to spit. They do need me to go over their teeth because they don't brush as well as I would like but they rinse and spit with no problem. At 2.5 I would still help with the brushing but they should be able to rinse and spit.

 

[bas71873]

You are fine. My son is 7 and I still occasionally brush his teeth for him just so I know they are getting cleaned really well. I don't think we started using real toothpaste until he was 3-4. I never had a probably with him spitting, that was he favorite part! (still is)

Ditto here. I follow up DD6's teeth brushing to make sure she gets them ALL. We use a kids colgate brand that she likes (she's kinda picky) and we use ACT to follow up. she likes the spitting part too

 

[DisneyFamily123]

I still floss and brush my son's teeth and he is 4 yrs old. No way a child can do a thorough job. Usually, I brush his teeth... then he does it... in the morning and night. He brushes his teeth other times by himself. This makes sure the job gets done right, but has him participating to develop good habits.

I like Tom's of Maine toothpaste. It comes for kids with and without flouride, and there are a variety of flavors which are not strong like adult toothpaste -- strawberry is especially good. And it is natural without junky sweeteners.
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products/toothpaste.aspx

We floss with the sticks that already have floss tied like the GUM brand Crayola kids' flossers. Some of the other flossing sticks have pointed ends (for picking) that are dangerous for young children. Again, I do this... but let my son have times to do it too.
https://cart.jbutler.com/store.php?crn=223&rn=508&action=show_detail

 

[bartleby1]

My kids' pediatric dentist told us that we should be helping them brush at least until they learn to tie their shoes. They feel that until a child has enough finger dexterity to tie their shoes, they don't have enough coordination to properly brush their own teeth.

Seems to work for us!

 

[flying_babyb]

I work for a daycare where the kids brush there teeth. They use water till there 3. Its a BIG rite of passage to turn 3 and get "real" toothpaste/

 

[Lstar311]

My son is 2 and a half and still uses the toddler toothpaste. I hadn't even thought of switching him yet. I guess I'll ask his pedi at the next appt. I know that too much flouride is not good though so I won't be switching until he can spit.

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

My kids are 4 and 6. Our pediatric dentist told us we should help the kids brush until they are able to use a knife by themself to cut food, until then, they do not have the dexterity, etc.
We also still use baby toothpaste or just water. Although they both love to spit, they just dont like toothpaste. We follow brushing with a floride mouth rinse. Our tap water also has floride in it.

 

[LCoulter]

Thanks for all of the replies. I will start working on getting her to spit out the toothpaste. Our water has flouride and she drinks it so at least she is getting that. Our pediatrician said to schedule a dental appointment for her so I will do that and see what he says about flouride toothpaste.

 

[cogero]

My son is 22 months and we use toddler toothpaste. My DD used toddler toothpaste until she was 5.

Our water has flouride so our pediatric dentist and ped said not to worry about rinsing and spitting.

 

[minnie4me]

you should check with a dentist in your area. Fluoride is important, but too much is just as bad if not worse than too little. If the fluoride is a factor, there are chewable vitamins or fluoride tablets. Remember the fluoride isn't as important for the baby teeth as it is for the permanent teeth that are forming.

 

[NotUrsula]

DD is just a tad younger, and she is a toothpaste junkie. We have to give her the fake stuff when she practices because the second you turn your back she will try to eat toothpaste right out of the tube. Of course, while she loves chewing on the brush, she really hates having anyone brush her teeth.

We let her use the fake stuff when she "brushes" herself, but then we give her a once-over every evening with real children's toothpaste. She thinks that she can spit, but given her addiction, she swallows first, so there isn't much point.

 

[pooh4evr]

Our youngest is 2 and a half also- we just took her to the dentist for the first time 2 weeks ago- and she was perfect!! She also has a hard time brushing, and fights like a mad woman when we try to help her so we have to eventually practically hold her down to do it- I try to let her but we need ot make sure it gets done. She follows what her sisters do but when they aren't around I model for her. She also has a special stoll, and a tickly Hello Kitty toothbrush (one of the spinning ones) and that seems to work wel, as for the spitting she tries but hasn't quite gotten that down yet> Keep working with her you are doing the right thing!!

 

[allyphoe]

my DH seems to think she should be using the regular toothpaste by now and brushing and rinsing all by herself.

My DD was at least 4, and maybe as much as 5 before she was a reliable spitter, and until then, we stuck with the fluoride-free paste. Her pediatric dentist said they recommend that kids not be completely responsible for brushing until they were old enough to legibly write in cursive (so around age 8), because they don't have the motor control and muscle strength to do a good job before then. That said, I was nearly as tired of toothbrushing as I was of bottom-wiping, so relinquished the brush at about age 5.

 

[DentalDana]

I have been brushing my DD’s teeth now for about a year. She is still using the training toothpaste that is safe to swallow and I have made no effort to teach her to spit and rinse because I am still working on her coordination to brush her tooth. She tries to brush her teeth at this point but it isn’t a very good job because she doesn’t have the coordination yet but she is slowly improving. She does allow me to finish up the brushing process, although some nights she is difficult and just doesn’t want to do it so I give up fighting her. Some nights she is really good about the whole process.

She is only 2.5 at this point but my DH seems to think she should be using the regular toothpaste by now and brushing and rinsing all by herself. Neither one of us have any experience with young children so we just aren’t sure. I think she is doing fine and is on track and that it is too early to expect her to brush with regular toothpaste. I think DH is expecting too much.

How are your toddlers doing with teeth brushing? Are they using training toothpaste or regular?

Thanks.

I have an almost 3yr old, and I only give him the toothbrush when he asks!

That said, I've been a dental hygienist for over 12 years now. I can't tell you how often I have to ask parents of kids 3-7ish to go back to brushing their kids' teeth. They get the coordination to do a thorough job gradually, not over night. There will always be the occasional child that doesn't get much plaque to begin with, so always exceptions to that. I explain (when the child, or parent for that matter, is resistant to them not going solo) to little 6yr old "Susie" that she needs to imagine how messy her writing was when she first learned how to write her name. Now think about how much it's getting better and how much it will continue to get with practice. I reccomend that parents let their child brush first and then compliment them. "You did a great job Susie! Now mommy needs to go back over a few spots that you missed." Tell your hubby that at 2.5, they are in no way capable of doing a good enough job. He doesn't need to be in such a hurry to have her grow up so fast, lol!

My boss brushed his DD's teeth until she was 9 or 10! But, that's a dentist for you! At 3 started my ODS on the toothpaste that has 1/2 the adult amount of fluoride b/c he now has the abilty to effectively spit almost all of it into the sink. For when you child is old enough to use a fluoride rinse, such as ACT, one trick I tell parents to try so they can see of the child is ready, is to fill a paper Dixie cup half with water and mark a line at the water level. Then have the child take a swig and swish it around and spit it back into the cup. If the water returns back to the same line, then you know the child isn't swallowing it.

HTH