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For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Parenting

Brushing teeth - 1yr old

34 replies

Sparrowlegs248 · 02/08/2016 08:01

Any tips on how to do this successfully? Just managed to do a few brushes top and bottom, but it doesn't feel enough, and I don't usually manage as much as we did today.

I do sing 'this is how we brush our teeth....' whilst mimicking doing mine, and this helps. But usually manage two or three brushes before he starts objecting. I don't want to try and force it obviously.......

OP posts:

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IslaSinga · 02/08/2016 08:04

Just keep trying and do the best you can. Unfortunately, my middle child was a nightmare with tooth brushing and we did have to force it most nights as he would kick and scream! He soon grew out of that stage and is perfect tooth brusher now! Perhaps allow your dc to copy you and have a go by himself as well as you brushing too?

Littlemissjt · 02/08/2016 08:11

With my 11 month old, I give top and bottom a quick brush, he then likes to take over and do it himself - well have a chew on the brush as he's teething again. He lets me have a better brush when he's finished doing it.

Bottomchops · 02/08/2016 08:13

You wrap in towel and sit them on your lap and brush from behind. But you do absolutely have to force it if necessary. They tend to like it one week and hate it the next, so you'll probably never fully conquer it. When they learn it's going to happen anyway, they choose the path of least resistance. But do get ready for cheek clamping. And it is easier if they cry as their mouths are open! Better to make eeeeee and aaaaaaaa sounds!

Grassgreendashhabi · 02/08/2016 08:21

Same here. Get two or three stripes and then it's over

Dentist said that its fine, better than nothing just do it twice a day.

lornathewizzard · 02/08/2016 08:23

We had to restrain as well. I used to sit over her lying on the floor. On the plus side, she's just turned 2 and is much better at letting me do it now, so no more restraining (for the moment!)

Grassgreendashhabi · 02/08/2016 08:25

I do my one whilst sitting in high chair after breakfast and dinner so she is confined a bit

Sparrowlegs248 · 02/08/2016 08:32

Yes I do do it in the highchair. He does watch me do it too. I will keep at it, really not keen on forceing the issue but suppose if he doesn't get better.....

OP posts:

IslaSinga · 02/08/2016 15:47

I saw a dentist talking on 'this morning' once, saying you must force if necessary. She basically said it's the parents responsibility to brush the child's teeth however possible. We really had a terrible battle with my middle child for a while and it really doesn't last forever!

T0ddlerSlave · 02/08/2016 19:58

There are lots of timed toothbrushing songs on YouTube which helped with our DD.

Notfastjustfurious · 02/08/2016 20:03

I'm still pretty much forcing it with my youngest and she was 2 last month. Sometimes she's right there on her step mouth open wide and next time (often the same damn day) she absolutely refuses to cooperate. Too important to let it slide though and that's with me and 4 yr old doing ours with her. This too shall pass so they say

Gracey79 · 02/08/2016 20:03

I got a minions electric toothbrush for my ds he's much more tolerant of this than a regular I get to do about a minute now!

JinkxMonsoon · 02/08/2016 20:04

I pin my 14 month old down and brush as much as I can while he screams like I'm killing him.

DontBuyANewMumCashmere · 02/08/2016 20:06

I have been lucky and DD does really well. However things that have made it easier are

Singing. Every time, I ask her what song she'd like me to sing, it's always Twinkle Twinkle. Sometimes she shakes it up and we sing Wheels on the bus. I always frame it as 'What song would you like me to sing while we brush your teeth' so the brushing is not a choice but her choosing a song is an element of being able to control it.

Another poster on another thread said she sings 'Brush, brush, brush your teeth/ On the top and bottom/ Brush them very carefully/ So they don't get rotten!' (to tune of Row Row) and that works really well.
Previous poster said she does 6 choruses of it but I know DD won't let me do it for that long!

I always do the first 30 seconds or so then I give her the brush to do it herself. She always just chews on the brush but at least she's putting in her mouth herself.

The tube has a picture of a cat on it, so we always talk and laugh about the cat, impressions etc

Good luck OP

lapsedorienteerer · 02/08/2016 20:14

I never 'forced' it, more important that they at least have a chew on the brush etc. I will get flamed for this but here goes.......all those teeth that you're trying to get your toddler to brush will all fall out in a few years time! What I'm trying to say is be realistic, by the time they have adult teeth that really need looking after they will also be old enough to brush properly, and understand the reason for brushing properly.......just my opinion .

chloechloe · 02/08/2016 20:51

I'm glad to see this post as we're having difficulty with our 16mo. She tends to lose interest and refuses to open her mouth after about 30 seconds.

Will try the singing but to be honest I'm not one who believes in forcing it as surely that will put them off even more. Like lapsed above has said, they're going to fall out anyway so I'd rather have 30seconds of cooperation which will hopefully develop good habits than 3 minutes of screaming that might put her off!

LittlePoot · 02/08/2016 21:01

There was a really old thread on here I found with some really creative solutions to try and they really helped me with my ds when he was small and reluctant. Singing a toothbrushing song was one but the main one I remember that worked a treat sounds kind of nuts but really did work to give a little bit more brushing time. I used to start brushing as normal but once the teeth clamped shut I used to gasp and say stuff like "oh my goodness, what's that? There's an elephant in your mouth - quick let me brush it!" and keep on like that until you get the mouth open to brush the elephant off. Then again "who's that?! Its a giant monkey hiding at the top /bottom /front /back /wherever. Quick, let's get him" ..... brush a bit more..... "phew! Got him. Oh no - there's another one!" etc etc with lots of animation and general mucking about. High energy and effort but it did manage to keep things fun and stop me resorting to restraint. Of course you have to vary what you find, TV characters, random junk, raisin monsters - whatever. As I said, a bit nuts but really did work a treat with us to get us through stubborn phases....

Sparrowlegs248 · 02/08/2016 21:01

Yeah I'm.not forcing it. We do it twice a day every day, sometimes more successful than others.

I was hoping for tips to encourage him really. Well start adding songs, he loves row row so the one to that tune might help!

OP posts:

Bottomchops · 02/08/2016 21:24

The advice on force it was from our dentists. It's non-negotiable. It has to be done whether they sing a song or not. I will not have dc with decayed milk teeth. It does not put them off. Mine are very good at it now. But the message remains that you can sing the whole of frozen or not but your teeth will be brushed thoroughly, and we don't have all day to fuck about doing it. I think it actually makes it a non issue. You can't scar them; it won't feature in their future; they won't remember any of it!

Grassgreendashhabi · 02/08/2016 21:40

Bottom - sorry but won't be taking your advice!

Bottomchops · 02/08/2016 21:44

Do what you want, love, I don't actually care about your child's teeth.

Mommawoo · 03/08/2016 11:33

Google knee to knee toddler teeth brushing technique. There is a good video on YouTube, but it requires 2 people.

MinnowAndTheBear · 03/08/2016 11:39

DS is a little bit older now, but he loves it when I show him any food bits that have stuck to his tooth brush. He eats bran flakes for breakfast so sometimes we get little brown flecks on the toothbrush that fascinate him. Of course sometimes you can pretend and quickly flash the toothbrush in front of him and say something like, "ooh look at all that rubbish on your toothbrush, let's try to find some more" and then straight back to brushing again.

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Leviticus · 03/08/2016 11:44

I forced it when I had to because I thought it was better than having to deal with a rotten tooth. You won't scar him for life, honestly. I just took a matter of fact approach that we will brush our teeth twice a day. They were soon used to it and stopped kicking up a fuss.

smearedinfood · 03/08/2016 11:58

I'm with Littlepoot. Also books about brushing teeth. And lots of finding mummy pig and peppa pig in his mouth.

Mummyme87 · 03/08/2016 17:13

I insist of teeth brushing aswell. Dentists will often say it's non negotiable. I don't want to be referred to have my sons baby teeth removed because they are rotten. Some days it's not an issue, other days it's like I'm sticking pins into him

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