Toothbrushing DS - should I stop for a while?

[MipPieMum]

DS (16 months) hates me brushing his teeth in the evening more than anything. He'll chew his tooth-pasted toothbrush quite happily but goes ballistic as soon as I touch it. The only way I can get his teeth clean is to hold his head still between my knees and pin his hands down, which is horrible for both of us. It also spoils the sleepy bedtime vibe before he goes into his cot.

He lets other people clean his teeth, it's just me . His DNanny does them in the morning after breakfast, and DH at weekends. Both report that it's a giggly, happy time for them (although I suspect that DH doesn't do a great job; DNanny certainly will).

DH has suggested that I should simply stop trying for a month or so, to sort of 'reset' my tooth-brushing relationship with DS IYSWIM.

OT1H, one of my fears is that I'm traumatising him and will put him off dental hygiene for life, so taking the pressure off for a bit seems to make sense. But OTOH, I do completely understand how important teeth-cleaning is.

What do you think?

[WowOoo]

DS used to be like this with me but I jsut carried on. I had to do it and I thought he had to learn that I had to help him.

I used to sometimes let him brush mine. That helped. Also let him jsut watch me brush my own teeth while singing happily. i tried to stop being so forceful and let him have the odd night off, with just him doing brushing.

Still tell him that if he refuses to brush or let me that he'll have nothing sweet. This often does the trick!

Do his milk, teeth and then a story to let him go all sleepy so it's not so stressful. (My ds prob was that he liked milk in his cot!)

I think he'll get used to it like my ds did. he's fine now. he'll moan but accepts it has to be done.
Good luck

[Wizzska]

I have trouble too. DS is about the same age as yours. He loves the taste of the toothpast but will not let me actually brush his teeth. I get a bit of the front ones but never a good clean. He's all tongue, lips and closed mouth - I can't get at the teeth. Any tips welcome.

[MIAonline]

Try buying two new tooth brushes, 1 for you an 1 for him and the 1st time you brush his teeth with them, do it at a random time that you have never brushed his teeth. Take it in turns, your turn, my turn. With young children, they get in to a habit of behaviour and as he lets other people brush his teeth, it sounds as though he feels as though crying when you are brushing his teeth at bedtime has become as much a part of his routine as a story iyswim.

[MipPieMum]

Thanks for the tips - will definitely try the letting-him-brush-my-teeth/brush-our-teeth-together ideas.

[BootyShake]

I do a bear hug. I squeeze one side of dd into me as a sort of cuddle, put one arm round her shoulder and use it to hold her free arm. Then I go in with my other hand. She hates but I praise her the whole time I'm doing it and as soon as I let go shes as happy as larry chewing on the brush so I know I'm not hurting her.

She doesnt seem to moan as much when DH does it but I suspect its because he doesnt do them properly. He does the night time brush as I'm at work then. I have shown him how I do it but hes unwilling to upset her. I'm turning a blind eye to the lack of quality brushing that happens at night, I figure as long as she has one good brush a day and toothpaste does actually go into her mouth twice a day she should be ok.

As for upsetting her, I read on here that someone knew a three year old that had to have dental work which involved injections. I would rather inflict two minutes worth of minimal upset a day than put dd through the trauma of dental work, and seeing as I'm the only one brushing them properly I have no choice but to continue as I am.

I also brush my teeth in front of her although I must say, I havent been brave enough to let her loose with a toothbrush inside my mouth yet