Don’t know what to do about brushing teeth

[Rubbermaid]

My dd is 16 Months, has her top four and bottom four teeth plus molars on the bottom left. I’ve been brushing her teeth since the first ones emerged at 6 Months and although she’s never exactly loved it, she did at least tolerate it, after having had a bit of a chew of the brush herself.

However for the last couple of months it’s been absolutely impossible. She completely refuses to let me brush them, (clamps mouth shut, shakes head, wriggles, pushes, kicks etc) and although she’ll hold the brush herself she won’t put it into her own mouth. I’ve tried everything I can think of, letting her play with it for ages first with no attempt to brush her teeth, playing with the brush in the bath to associate it with ‘fun’, brushing my own teeth, etc etc. I’ve just bought her an electric one designed for babies as I thought, even if I manage to brush for a couple of seconds with that then it’s better than a couple of seconds of a manual one.

However she is just not having it and I’m getting really worried as I obviously want her to have healthy teeth and gums! It’s made bedtime really stressful which is of course not what anyone wants.

What do I do?

I can't believe people actually just don't brush them if they don't like it ,or say leave it for a while and then try and persuade them!
You just do it, no matter how you need to do it. If you need to sit on them and do it while they scream at you then that is what you do, when all else fails. Brushing teeth is one of the most basic parenting acts there is , like changing nappies or putting them to bed. You can't opt out of it.

We go through good and bad phases but she will tolerate hers brushed while she does mine (cue toothbrush in my eye...).

Someone told me that the fruit flavoured toothpastes make it difficult when older because most adult ones are mint and kids then don't like the flavour (luckily dd likes mint).

Typing on the run so I’ve not read the thread but the Blippi toothbrushing song on YouTube was the only thing that worked for us! It’s awful but my daughter adores it.

DS 2.5 years has 18/20 teeth abd is a staunch refuse. Sorry to say he gets held abd brushed. Try and lure him into opening his mouth and sing the ABC song twice through so we have a time limit. If he gets a cavity etc he will end up in hospital so I can't afford to play nice. He wouldn't understand bribes. Contemplating an electric one. We currently use a 3 sided one

I pin my son down and do it on his changing Mat. He doesn't like games, brushing mine, strawberry etc.
Just pin them down until they are old enough. It's horrible isn't it

I can't believe people actually just don't brush them if they don't like it ,or say leave it for a while and then try and persuade them!
You just do it, no matter how you need to do it. If you need to sit on them and do it while they scream at you then that is what you do, when all else fails. Brushing teeth is one of the most basic parenting acts there is , like changing nappies or putting them to bed. You can't opt out of it

No but people do for fear of upsetting their little darlings, not realising it’s neglectful.

Get them used from tooth one with a wet flannel. Like I said it’s non negotiable and needs doing whether they like it or not.

We ended up using oranurse toothpaste. It is non foaming amd no taste. There are other sensory issues though so worth the extra cost.

Horrified by the number of people who think to just leave it until a set age or undone for weeks because it might uoswt their child.

My son has oral aversion issues, feeding issues etc and he gets pinned and brushed. Scream helps as it opens mouth. He gets songs and cuddles afterwards and praise but he also gets them done. Same as I pin him to do eye drops or hold him bloody tight when he needs needles doing.

Do you really think having rotten milk teeth is going to make their childhood happier?

My son was the same and I used to do it when he was asleep with a minute amount of toothpaste, just to get the worst off. He's now 10 and has healthy teeth and gums.

You have to brush them. For me it's the simple songs (you tube) for toothbrushing that works.

I'm a HCP. Every week there are paediatric dental operating lists where >90% of patients are having rotten teeth removed. An avoidable operation for a young child is pretty horrifying IMO

Had same issue at same age for a while. Each time I presented a choice. 1) you open your mouth for Mummy and say arghhhhh. 2) mummy holds you down. If he screamed whilst pinning him down it actually made it easier as his mouth was open wide.

I gave him the choice everything then one day he just decided to do option 1. Was easier from then on.

Horrified by the number of people who think to just leave it until a set age or undone for weeks because it might upset their child.

I didn't know baby teeth could go rotten so quick . Babies and toddlers don't usually eat sweets and sticky foods? I don't know. I started brushing eldest DD's teeth around 2 and she's 14 now, no fillings or anything so far! I honestly never thought it would be an issue so young!

I pinned him. He's now 2.5 and happily does them himself

Babies and toddlers don't usually eat sweets and sticky foods?
Lots of toddlers have sweet treats but more so lots of fruit, full of sugars and acid. Also at what age do you bite the bullet and force it? What of they don't want you to at 2? Or 3? Garden to bribe still at 4?

same as giving meds- whatever means necessary.

Just do it, you are in charge.

Much better to pin them down and brush than to pin down for a general anaesthetic for decayed teeth removal.

Songs, buzzy brushes, nice (character?) toothpaste... whatever helps. But don’t faff and drag it out cajoling etc, just pin down and brush if necessary.

It’s a phase that will pass.

When this happened with us, we stopped doing it completely -- for 3 weeks.

Then, in that time period, we read him lots of books about toothbrushing but particularly Madeline. It has this whole "they went home and broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed" sequence. He loved the idea that Madeline brushed her teeth so much that it made it much easier. We'd talk about "ok, we had our last meal of the day, that's breaking our bread. So now it's time to BRUSH OUR TEETH!"

We also have a toothbrushing song. "This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth..."

He went from screaming every time to begging to do it, even after lunch. So my suggestion is Madeline!

Have you tried a Brush Baby?

Another one who had some success with YouTube etc but ended up having to pin down sometimes. I used to take him to the spare room to pin him down on the bed. Then I would say to him that we can either brush teeth downstairs in front of telly / IPad nicely or I would take him upstairs to do it - he got the point pretty quickly and opted to open his mouth for me downstairs (although I still need to threaten to take him upstairs for it occasionally)

My ds goes through periods of being fine with his teeth brushed and then Hates it. Probably linked to when he’s teething.

If he’s not letter me, I basically force him. Teeth brushing is non negotiable.

I always brush mine first usually whilst he’s close then do his. He quite likes it when I brush his and he can see himself in the mirror . Then on a night we often do it when he’s physically in the bath. This seems to work quite well.

The only toothpaste he likes is Colgate one, he doesn’t like the minty/peppermint ones that much. So maybe try different types.