5 Games to Make Brushing Fun for Toddlers

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Here are some of our favorite examples of games you can play with your toddler while brushing their teeth.

When it comes to the health of your children, there is nothing you wouldn’t do to keep them protected and safe from disease, injury and harming factors. When your child is stubborn and rejects treatment or prevention, you have to do the right thing and insist on what is best for them. Sometimes it doesn’t go very smoothly, but a parent knows that there are some tricks that can make unpleasant tasks a little more acceptable for the little ones.

toddler brusher her teeth
I am so impressed with this Place. The staff is super friendly and explains everything in great detail and really takes their time with their patients. I came here after 15+ years of not having Dental insurance or the means to see a Dentist. Needless to say, my teeth were in pretty bad shape, and I needed a deep periodontal cleaning. When I went in for consultation back in February I was totally nervous, anxious had no clue what to expect. I just knew that I needed to a tooth that was falling out pulled and needed to do something about my teeth. After talking with a staff member and Dr. Hoffmann I felt totally at ease. Both my procedures in Feb and May went incredibly well and I woke up from both with an incredible smile. I came back today for follow up and cleaning my Hygienist was awesome I still had some sensitivity around my front teeth and when she noticed I flinched she stopped and said do you need break, or do you want me to put some numbing jell on your front teeth. After we got done, I had a lot of questions about the proper way to floss, what type of tooth paste I should use for sensitive teeth etc and she really took the time to answer all my questions. If you have been putting off dental work because of anxiety, I encourage you to check this place out. The staff truly cares about their clients.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your thoughtful review and kind words. We’re so glad you felt informed, supported, and cared for throughout your visits. Helping patients feel comfortable and confident in their dental care means so much to our team. We truly appreciate your trust!
I went to nervous and 3 to 4 hours later, I essentially woke up in the car on my way home without realizing anything had happened. If you have trauma with previous dental issues, this is the place.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience. We’re grateful our team could help provide a comfortable experience and appreciate your trust in us.
Amazing staff from entering to exiting! Thank you all for truly caring and taking the time to explain every step as you go. You are appreciated and I would highly recommend you to everyone!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and recommendation! We’re so glad you felt cared for and informed throughout your experience. Our team truly appreciates your support!
Extremely friendly and professional Liked the way everything was explained a b d was concerned about my comfort k rt
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad you felt comfortable and well informed during your visit. Our team truly appreciates your support!
I have been a patient at the Dental Anesthesia Center for about 20 years! Dr. Hoffman and his team are the premier dental group in the St. Louis area. I believe they are the only location for Dental Anesthesia if you need that service. They are experts in the dental field and I cannot fathom ever going anywhere else. Great team, kind, caring, patient, and looking out for you and your dental needs!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and continued trust over the years! We’re truly grateful for your support and are honored to have such a caring team dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality care.

The best way to convince a toddler to do something he would normally reject is to combine play with that task. And when it comes to brushing their teeth, the possibilities are endless. There are so many games you can try that surely your toddler will come to like brushing his teeth.

Here are some of our favorite examples of games you can play with your toddler while brushing their teeth.

Sing a Song

Singing makes everything more fun, relaxed and joyful. There are plenty of songs about brushing your teeth that you and your toddler might love, but if you are more of an improv duo, you can invent your own rhymes and tune to brush your teeth. Use a simple song that lasts about 2 minutes because that is how long brushing should be.

Pretend to Be at the Dentist

Pretend play is always a good way to determine toddlers to do things that they would normally wouldn’t like. Imagining a scenario around a simple task can make that moment fun and easygoing. If your toddler has already been to a St. Louis pediatric dentist and it was a successful experience, you can use this scenario to get him to open his mouth, look at his teeth in the mirror and brush.

Brush Everyone’s Teeth

It always helps to be with a friend in times of hardship. If your toddler is not a big fan of brushing his teeth, bringing one of his favorite toys to the bathroom while you are brushing teeth might help him overcome his fear. Pretend that you are brushing your teeth or even let your toddler do it, brush the toy’s teeth and then move on to your toddler’s teeth.

Invent a Story

If your child is excited when it’s story time, you can use that opportunity to invent a story related to brushing. Create fun characters, like bacteria villains and superhero toothbrush and toothpaste, or anything that you think might spark your child’s imagination and make him enjoy these moments.

Red Light/ Green Light

A really good idea for bigger children is to adopt the red light/green light game to brushing your teeth. When he is opening his mouth, you can make silly noises or moves, then freeze when his mouth is closed. This can mean at least 2 minutes of fun, which will allow you to properly clean his teeth and make brushing fun.

Contributing to your child’s lifelong healthy habits is very important, and tooth brushing is one of the more challenging tasks at hand, but putting an effort into making it fun is going to impact your child’s perception for many years to come. Make it fun and stay healthy!

Updated: August 14, 2024

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