To not brush my baby's teeth

[Stuckunderababy]

DC2 is 14 months and HATES having his teeth brushed. Always has. Whereas with DC1 it was quite easy and I didn't force on the days he didn't want to, if I took that approach with DC2 I'd never brush his teeth.

So at the moment we resort to practically pinning him down to do it. I've tried other brushes, 'helping' him when he's holding it, signing etc. nothing works. I know he likes the toothpaste and happily chews on the brush. He's just one of these babies that likes to do it all himself.

Someone recently said that as long as they get the fluoride it doesn't matter if they are actually brushed, but this really goes against the grain for me.

So AIBU to desist with the brushing and let him get on with it, or persevere in the hope he'll one day get it?

[ReticulatingSplines]

I sit on mine sometimes to brush his teeth.

[ReticulatingSplines]

Brushing teeth, changing poopy nappies and car seat straps are the three things I will pin my toddler down for.

[Crowler]

It's not negotiable, they have to brush their teeth. Begin as you mean to carry on, and all that.

[MrsKoala]

I suppose i've not been that bothered because my parents never really bothered about me cleaning mine. Also we don't have a routine so i often forget about it. I also forget about doing mine sometimes till the afternoon if we don't go out in the morning.

[WakeyTryingAgain]

My mum was brutal when it came to cleaning my teeth. Pinning me down etc. I hated it...however I have perfect teeth. Never had a tooth out, never a filling or anything. My two sisters did not brush their teeth (I am the youngest so change in parental attitude to brushing) and one of them has horribly stained teeth and the other has crumbling teeth. But they are both scared of the dentist because they always get bad news. I love going because I always get good.

They won't be scarred by being held down! I am so massively grateful to my parents for doing it!!

[Mrsmorton]

I suppose i've not been that bothered because my parents never really bothered about me cleaning mine. Also we don't have a routine so i often forget about it. I also forget about doing mine sometimes till the afternoon if we don't go out in the morning.



A dear friend of mine said his parents never bothered with toothbrushing and it was years before someone at school plucked up the courage to tell him his breath was so bad that people would avoid talking to him. He is absolutely paranoid about it to this day (and has plenty of fillings to show for his parents kind efforts )

So even if you're not bothered about your DCs potentially getting toothache and being in pain and needing GA extractions, please do it because it's socially acceptable. They will be mocked and talked about if their breath smells. That's not nice.

[Tailtwister]

I would persevere OP. We always get them to lie down (head end by your knees, feet away from you) so you are brushing their teeth upside down iyswim. You get a much better view of their teeth that way and I've always found it much easier/quicker. We've always been very matter of fact about teeth brushing, it's non-negotiable and important.

That said, they have both gone through phases of not liking it.

[Welshwabbit]

You've probably tried something like this already, OP, but we had similar problems with our son (now 20 months) and the only thing that has really worked has been to brush his teeth saying "let's brush Iggle Piggle" (or Makka Pakka, or Upsy Daisy), and then singing the relevant song (he loves In the Night Garden, obviously!). He still clamps down on the brush every so often, but we then stop singing and ask him to open up, and he usually does. It's not as thorough a brush as I might like, but it is a lot better than letting him do it himself, which is all he'd do before. I am a bit of a tooth-brushing fanatic and so I would (and did) persevere.

[sebsmummy1]

I took my 14 month old to the dentist for the first time yesterday and we had a chat about brushing and flouride. Im lucky in that my son likes the taste of his tooth paste, so kind of eats it.

Have you tried different brands of toothpaste to see if he prefers the taste of another brand? I also found the chewable toothbrushes very good. Just put a little bit of toothpaste of each side and let them chomp on it for a while.

[sebsmummy1]

Just remembered we talked about a flouride varnish that can be applied by the dentist from the age of two. I wonder if that might be a good idea.

[Monkeyandanimal]

I hate it. My two are 2 and 4 years old and they are stronger than me. I have to sit on them and pin their arms under me to do it. I brush them once a day at bedtime; better than nothing i guess. They only drink water or milk though, so i hope this will prevent them getting cavities. They seem ok so far....
sebsmummy are you thinking of fissure seals? Where the crevices in the tops of the teeth are sealed off by painting on a hard substance?

[MrsKoala]

i don't know why it's so mrsmorton. when i'm running around after a hyper toddler, injuring himself by leaping off furniture and ripping things from the walls etc, it's not always top of my list - just like sometimes i don't even have a drink of water till the afternoon nap is upon us. i tend to shower and clean my teeth when i can. Other days of course, when all is calm i manage to make it into the bathroom - thank god

When i say my parents weren't bothered, i mean they just told me to do it and i did, they never checked or anything. it wasn't a big deal. Some peoples parents supervised and timed them etc. That always seemed weird. and for the record i have lovely teeth and fragrant breath actually

[sebsmummy1]

Monkeyandanimal, no, i do know what you are talking about and those are done on permanent teeth to prevent cavities in molars.

Fluoride varnish is applied to milk teeth to strengthen them. The dentist said they tend to do it when the milk teeth are showing signs of decay but i asked if it could be done as a preventative thing from two if i asked and she said yes. It was an NHS dentist btw but not sure if that procedure would be chargeable.

[Monkeyandanimal]

Oh ok, Sebsmummy. That does sound like a good idea. I'm definitely going to look into the fissure seals for the permanent teeth anyway.

[Mrsmorton]

sebsmummy the high fluoride varnish can reduce the risk of decay by about 40% so it's a good idea. I put it on almost all of my adult patients because it works on permanent teeth too and who wouldn't want to reduce their risk of decay!!??

[sebsmummy1]

Yep i agree. My partners step daughter had hers done when she was a teenager and her teeth were perfect, no fillings. Its a good idea.

[sebsmummy1]

Its funny Mrs Morton as i have never been told about it as an adult. I know there is some controversy about fluoride isn't there so maybe that's why i've never been offered anything like that myself. Or perhaps its just that my teeth are pretty good. If i was offered it though by my dentist i would probably take them up on it.

Can i ask you a quick professional question? I go to see my hygienist every four months to make sure all the staining and any tartar are removed from my teeth and my gums stay healthy. Because i have never had a filling on my natural teeth and no tooth ache etc i havent seen my dentist for near-on three years. Is that really awful or is just seeing the hygienist ok?

[Quenelle]

I used to have to get DS in a bearhug with his arms pinned against me and tip him back to brush his teeth. He wasn't bothered, just wriggled a lot and ran off laughing when I'd finished.

DH was very squeamish about forcing him, until I asked him if he would rather pin him down screaming in the dentist's chair for an extraction, like my mum had to do with me.

[Mrsmorton]

Are you in England? It's abit odd as it's only been recently decided that hygienists don't need a prescription from a dentist to do their thing. The hygienist will spot any gross pathology (like big holes) but it is usual to have x rays taken of your teeth every so often (in someone like you I would probably take them every two or three years). Might be worth a trip before too long.

The guidance on Fluoride doesn't talk too much about adult's teeth to be honest so maybe that's why? The hygienist can put it on as well though.

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

non negotiable in this house. always has been
sometimes I have done it whilst dh held them on his lap.
now aged 7 & 9 they willingly do it themselves each morning and night.

[DinoSnores]

Toothbrushing is non-negotiable around here too. We used a fruity toothpaste for a while when DS was being difficult about it. We also would sing a verse of Baa Baa Black Sheep or something like that so he would know it would be over when the song was finished. His objections were fairly short lived and now he reminds us (he's 3yo) if we have forgotten to it! "We forgot to brush my teeth! I don't want rotten teeth!"

[WillBeatJanuaryBlues]

I have perfect teeth too, I have just had my first filling at 37. My siblings have awful teeth, all same regimen.

[sebsmummy1]

Yep I'm in England. The hygienist works in the dental surgery (private) and I just book to see her every four months so I know my teeth and gums are in good nick.

I've just found out I'm expecting again so I shall have to wait till after this pregnancy and get some X-rays done.

Thank you x

[WillBeatJanuaryBlues]

I am staggered that people think teeth will rot and fall out if you lay off brushing for a few weeks.

What are you feeding these children?

[DinoSnores]

I think chocolatecrispies's ideas are very odd. As a parent, there are lots of things I do that my children might not like. They are children with the lack of danger, future planning, risk etc that adults do. They have had their vaccinations. DS will get his preschool vaccinations likely 'against his will'. When he was unwell in hospital, I hugged him tightly with his hand restrained so they could take blood.

I can't see the damage of those things done by their parents in the context of a loving relationship to prevent harm, compared to permissive parenting without boundaries.