We went through something similar with our youngest. Honestly, the fluoride-free toothpaste was a lifesaver for us too at first, but we gradually reintroduced fluoride once she got better at rinsing. We also let her pick out her own toothbrush—something about having a favorite character on it made brushing less of a struggle. But you're right, swallowing a tiny bit occasionally isn't the end of the world...it gets easier pretty quickly, and before you know it they'll be pros at it. Hang in there, you're doing great.
We did the character toothbrush thing too, worked wonders. Another trick was brushing together—toddlers love copying adults. Honestly, a little swallowed toothpaste isn't a huge deal, just keep amounts tiny until they're better at spitting. It'll pass quicker than you think.
We've been trying brushing together too, but I'm always worried about the toothpaste swallowing thing. Do you think fluoride-free toothpaste is safer until they're better at spitting? I've read mixed things online, so I'm still unsure. But yeah, the character toothbrush was a total game changer for us as well—my daughter went from fighting toothbrushing to actually asking for it. I guess it's just one of those phases everyone has to survive... good to know it passes quicker than expected. Thanks for sharing your experience, makes me feel a bit less anxious about the whole thing.
We used fluoride toothpaste from the start, honestly—just a tiny smear, like a grain of rice. Our pediatric dentist said the fluoride is important even at that age and as long as you're careful with the amount, swallowing a tiny bit isn't harmful. I get why you're cautious though, there's so much conflicting info out there... makes your head spin sometimes.
Funny thing is, our son wasn't great at spitting for ages either, but we just kept modeling it and eventually he caught on. I think kids pick things up quicker than we give them credit for. Glad the character toothbrush worked for you too; Paw Patrol was our lifesaver around here, haha. Hang in there, sounds like you're doing great already!
We started out fluoride-free because I was super nervous about swallowing, but honestly, after talking to our dentist and doing some digging, I switched to fluoride toothpaste too. The tiny smear really is key, and I think the benefits outweigh the small risk. Our daughter took forever to get the hang of spitting—she mostly just swallowed it at first, which freaked me out a bit—but she's fine. And yeah, character toothbrushes are magic... Elsa toothbrushes saved our sanity more than once, lol.
