How do I get my kids to actually brush t

Monday night: two minutes, split in two, timer in charge

Tonight, put the timer in charge of the two minutes instead of you: your child presses the start button, you split the brushing into one adult minute plus one child minute, and the song ending is the finish line — no bargaining past it, no rushing, no force.

For a child who is not quite 3 yet, the goal is two minutes of adult brushing with the child helping, not two minutes of the child's own brushing. That is normal for this age, not a failure.

1) What you have already tried vs. a better lever

Who actually brushes, by age (this removes most of the friction):

• Under 3: the adult brushes the child's teeth; the child's job is to hold the brush and help. Two minutes of adult brushing.
• 3–6: the child brushes first, an adult supervises and finishes what they missed.
• 7 and over: the child brushes alone; you watch to check the two minutes and the technique.

Scripts to screenshot

• Start: "Timer first, then teeth. You press it."
• Split: "You first, then me — one song each."
• Finish: "When the song ends, we're done. Done!"
• To the sibling or elder nearby: "Tonight one job only: start the song and bring the cup. That's it."

Under 25 minutes, Monday night (no cooking, no shopping)

• 0–2 min: set the timer to your song; put the chart on the fridge; two brushes out.
• 2–5 min: give the job, let the child press start.
• 5–8 min: brush — parent minute, child minute, song running the whole time.
• 8–10 min: spit (no rinsing once they can spit); mark the chart; done.
• One evening this week (not tonight): call the dental office for the first visit, using the script on the sheet you already prepared. Ask the dentist to watch the brushing and about fluoride varnish.

What success looks like in 24 hours (no cure promised)

• The bedtime brushing happened with the timer on, for the full two minutes, without force and without tears — even if the child only owns one of the two minutes.
• The child did one job they were in charge of and there is a mark on the chart.
• Nothing new was bought and no medicine entered the house.
• The first dental visit is booked or called. That visit is where decay, fluoride amount and technique get checked by a professional, not at home.

2) Constraints and the avoid list

• No adult toothpaste, no whitening powders, charcoal, baking soda or salt rubs.
• No fluoride drops, tablets or stronger toothpaste on your own — that is the dentist's call.
• No antibiotics, painkillers or numbing gel for the mouth on your own; the dentist, doctor or pharmacist decides what and how much.
• No pinning, holding down, or forcing the mouth open; no "one more minute" past the song.
• No sweets as payment for brushing.
• Once they can spit: spit, do not rinse — rinsing washes the fluoride away.
• No juice for thirst and none in a sippy cup; water or milk; no sweet drinks between meals; no bottle in bed.
• Nobody walks or runs with a toothbrush in their mouth.
• The children's fluoride toothpaste already on your shelf is enough — a smear (about the size of a grain of rice) under 3, a pea-sized amount from 3 to 6, as printed on the box.

3) Decision tree — when to stop the home plan and get help

```
Child resists, no pain, no swelling
→ Normal behaviour. Run the split plan. Aim for the full 2 minutes with the timer on.

Child winces, points at one tooth, avoids eating, or cries at brushing
→ Treat it as possible tooth pain. Call the dental office today and say:
"tooth pain, can my child be seen today?"
→ If they cannot see you today: same-day urgent dental or medical care.
→ No painkiller, antibiotic or numbing gel of your own.

Gum boil, pus, bad taste, gum or face swelling, cannot open the mouth
→ Same-day dental or urgent care. Go; do not wait for the pain to ease.

Fever with face or gum swelling, swelling spreading toward the eye or neck,
drooling, trouble swallowing or breathing
→ Emergency care now.

Tooth knocked out, pushed out or broken after a fall
→ Call a dentist the same day for advice. A baby tooth should not be put back.
→ Bleeding that does not stop after 10 minutes of firm pressure → urgent care.

White spot, brown or black spot, or a rough patch on a tooth, no pain
→ Dental appointment within days. Do not scrub, whiten or "watch it".
```

This is home routine and communication only — it is not a diagnosis, and no medicine changes for your kids, the elder or anyone else. Anything in the decision tree above is the dentist's or the urgent-care team's call, and your child does not have to be in pain before the first visit.

Sources checked on 26 October 2026:

• NHS, "Children's teeth" (page last reviewed 30 June 2025) — brush twice daily for about 2 minutes, last thing at night, smear or pea-sized by age, spit and do not rinse, use a timer to make it fun, guide your child's hand, use a small soft brush, and do not let children run with a toothbrush in their mouth.

Source: nhs-conditions https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/taking-care-of-childrens-teeth/

• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Tips to Prevent Cavities in Young Children" (updated 4/9/2025) — adults help with brushing until about age 8, offer water or milk rather than juice, and a first dental visit by the first birthday.

One thing that would sharpen this: tell me each child's age, and I will split the two minutes so it fits each one.

brushing-two-minutes-onepager-17adda67.pdf