My boys go through phases where they don’t want to brush their teeth. I have a slew of games up my sleeve to get them to cooperate. Being boys, they like to be grossed out, so a lot of my tricks center around that fun boyish trait. I’ll say, “Open up big and let me see what’s stuck in your teeth.” Then, I pretend to be horrified to find bug legs, snail goo, frog eyes, etc. stuck in their teeth. Each time I “see” something nasty, I brush it away. They crack up the whole time.
They also like to have the toothbrush “talk” to them. One of my boys likes the Evil Toothbrush, who gives a monologue about making all the teeth evil while he brushes them. That speech includes a description of all the things evil teeth can do, like bite through walls and chomp the bumpers off cars.
I can usually get them to open wide by asking them to make their mouths as big as a T Rex’s mouth. I’ll brush the front teeth by having them growl at me. If I growl back, they hold that pose longer.
Choices are great, like others have said. Let your daughter pick out her own toothbrush, let her choose which of you has a turn brushing first, and let her choose the toothpaste. There are so many flavors based on popular characters that she’s sure to find one she likes.
If all else fails, tell her she can either get her teeth brushed like a big girl, or like a baby. Babies sit on Mom’s lap and have their teeth brushed while they cry. It’s not fun (and not easy to do with a toddler). When my boys are feeling particularly anti-dental-care, I remind them that we can have fun or we can do it the hard way. Doing it the hard way is a ticket straight to bed, by the way, so they haven’t chosen the hard way for a really long time now (they are 4 and 5, just so you know).
Just make it fun and silly, and it won’t be such a chore!