How to get a toddler to brush their teeth

What pediatricians and dentists recommend

• Start with the first tooth. The NHS says to start brushing as soon as the first milk tooth appears.
• Twice a day, for about two minutes. One brush should be last thing before bed. The AAP suggests after breakfast and before bedtime.
• Toothpaste amount. Under 3: a smear the size of a grain of rice. From 3 to 6: a pea-sized amount (AAP). The NHS says at least 1,000ppm fluoride for under 3s.
• Spit, do not rinse. Rinsing washes away the fluoride that protects the teeth.
• Help until about 8. The AAP says children usually need help until they are 8; the NHS says children of 7 and over can brush on their own with checks. The CDC advises watching children under 6 brush.
• First dentist visit by the first birthday, according to the CDC and the AAP.

Step by step with a toddler who resists

1. Same time, same place. After breakfast and right before bed, so it is never a surprise.
2. Find a good position. The AAP says lying down is often easiest for toddlers. Many parents sit on the floor with the child's head in their lap.
3. Let them go first. The child brushes, then you take your turn to do it properly. The NHS suggests guiding their hand so they feel the movement.
4. Use a mirror so they can see what is happening.
5. Small, soft brush, gentle circles along the gum line and the back teeth.
6. Fill the two minutes with a song, a story or a counting game.
7. Finish with praise for something specific: "You opened so wide!"

Making two minutes feel short

The American Dental Association's tips for encouraging kids to brush include brushing to music they love, a simple sticker chart, a story in which your child is a hero who fights cavities, letting them pick their own brush, and brushing side by side so they copy you. The NHS suggests an egg timer or a fun activity to reach the two minutes, and the AAP's own tips include singing along to a favorite song and taking turns.

A song works well because it has a clear start and end. When the song finishes, brushing finishes, and there is nothing to argue about.

A song that lasts the whole brush

Any two-minute song works. A song that sings your child's name, mentions their brush and reminds them to brush the top and bottom teeth, the back and the front, can turn the routine into their song. Our two-minute toothbrushing song is a song of about two minutes with your child's name, in a playful or calm style. It is a helper, not a timer you can rely on to the second, and it does not replace an adult checking the teeth.

When it is still a fight

• Keep your voice calm and the session short; a quick brush is better than none.
• Offer a choice that does not matter: the blue brush or the green one, the bathroom or the kitchen.
• Brush a toy's teeth first.
• Fold brushing into the evening chain, as in the AAP's Brush, Book, Bed routine, so it is just the step before the story.
• If your child seems to be in pain when brushing, ask your dentist or doctor.