Refusal to clean teeth.....

[Welshmum]

My 17 month old DD will not open her mouth to have her teeth cleaned. We've bought new toothbrushes, we clean ours at the same time, we let her do it herself (she can't obviously) I'm getting really worried about all her teeth falling out. Any advice really appreciated.

Our 17mo was like this for a while too. I don't know if it will work but wel let DD choose hersef a little pink toothbrush that flashs on and off to tell her to clean her teeth. It stops flashing after a minute to say it is time to stop. I also have a spare brush she uses to clean her 'babies' teeth in the bath or at wash time. DD also likes the pink Colgate toothpaste - supposedly strawberry flavour.

Hi Welshmum, my dd was like this and still is a bit of a pain about cleaning her teeth at 26 months. Sometimes she will let me and other times she runs away. I find if you suggest she cleans teddie's or dolly's teeth first that makes life a bit easier. Another trick I use, is that my dd loves the primula cheese that comes in tubes and calls it squeezy cheese, as toothpaste comes in the same sort of tube we call it "squeezy cheese toothpaste" so she thinks she is cleaning her teeth with nice tasty chees.... a bit naughty I know but it works!

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We do the same as Twinkie, making it into a game. We also bought a battery toothbrush which was quite a sucess. I have persisted in brushing ds' teeth twice a day regardless of how much fuss he makes, I've even pinned him down to do it. I think my persistence has paid off as he makes less fuss these days, probably reasoning that I'll still do them anyway. I often warn him his teeth will rot if he neglects them so now he cries "I want brown teeth, I want my teeth to go rotten" as I approach him with the brush!

We do the same, making a game of it, and like bunny have persisted in doing it everyday, regardless of DD's co-operation. We have :
put a small mirror behind the taps so she can see herself in it, tried the new toothbrush approach (one friend found just changing the colour of their DS toothbrush helped),also tried songs - this is the way we brush our teeth to the mulberry bush tune. Right now we're pretending to be singers and going 'ahhhhhhh' in various tones/keys whatever (sure it sounds dreadful ) but gets her mouth open very wide which lets me get in there!

Love the idea of looking for food twinkie - will try that when DD is in fastidious mode!

Changing the toothpast to one that doesn't 'burn' the mouth worked best - I bought some for myself but DD liked it so much we gave up the kiddie ones. You can find the one we use here, you need to enter FFF07029 at the prompt It doesn't have flouride in, but thats a whole other thread!

Sorry messed that link up - one more go

enter code FFF07029

Sorry, neither of those work - forgot the http bit! Once more:
here it is, you need to enter FFF07029 at the prompt

Apologies to all!

We live in toothbrush-hell We have to pin him down and sit on top of him while he screams. God knows what the neighbours must think of us....? We have tried everything we can think of, but every night is toothbrush hell and getting more hellish as he grows strongerAlso worried about the state of ds teeth as he still has bottle of milk in bed too. I am only hoping he has super-strong teeth!

I think I'm heading that way too . Have heard some awful stories recently about an 18 month old having all her teeth taken out, and then some other stuff about their language learning being impaired and proper speech delayed. Scared me silly it might be a case of 'no more Mr Nice Mummy'. Am trying the other suggestions too - thanks for those.

MY ds is the worst, i have to make him do it, by pinning him down, thats the only way it works for me, hes got a lot better recently thank god, lol.

Though i dont have little ones any more I remeber those days of teeth battles.Really boiled down to just get on with it without any arguments like strapping them in the car , not up for discussion. Standing behind them and cupping their chin with one hand brushing with other helped.:0 3 kids oldest 16 and no fillings yet!!!

tell her that the tooth fairy only collects clean teeth!!!!!!

tell her that the tooth fairy only collects clean teeth!!!!!!

This is what worked for us: Took ds1 with us to the dentist - he sat on my lap, and the dentist told him (in a scary voice) that he "must brush his teeth properly twice a day", and he transformed overnight into a model toothbrusher.

Try it - it might work for you. (Didn't work for ds2 though!)

I may just be a bad mother but if ds doesn't want to clean his teeth then I don't make him. Since being about 10 months he has often refused to have his teeth cleaned and so instead of getting upset I say fine and leave them dirty.

I gave him the toothbrush in the bath to play with for a while at about 16 months so that he could play with it and stop being put off when he saw it, and he often scrubed his teeth in the bath (I know it's yukkie)

Although in the past month or 2 he hasn't said that he doesn't want them cleaning. And will sometimes just go and start brushing them without prompting from me.

Jenie - I give my DD the toothbrush to play with in the bath too; that's where 'baby' has her teeth cleaned. Always think 'yuk' when she does her own teeth as well though. Oh well, at least I can clean them afterwards with toothpaste properly.

KMG, love the scare tactics, might give it a go!

we tried all the 'game' stuff plus cleaning our teeth at the same time, buying different toothbrushes etc but nothing really worked. I did worry about forcing him to do it but dentist reassured me that all the research shows that if you do just 'make' them do it doesn't cause any kind of psychological phobia of teeth cleaning "...and I can tell you now it's a lot better getting them properly brushed than seeing a 5 year old having all his teeth taken out" a bit extreme I thought but made me just think (like cookiemum) this is one thing I will not argue about.

We had about 2 weeks of shouting and tears but now he just accepts that after he's 'brushed' his teeth mummy gives them a brush too. (DS is 2 yrs and with everything else tantrum wise I try to distract and not get into pointless arguments but I really think that proper teeth cleaning is something that has to be done)

electric toothbrushes worked for us

i thought there was a minimum age for electric toothbrushes or did i dream that? my ds is 2 1/2 and is a teath-cleaning nightmare also

Update: thanks for all the advice. Decided to brook no argument and play 'hard mummy'. It's taken about 3 weeks of yelling and complaining but in the last couple of days i think we've had a breakthrough and she now actually lets us clean her teeth pretty well. Definitely worth persevering.

Great news Welshmum - sorry it's taken 3 weeks of battle. Hope the upturn proves permanent!

Recently had a breakthrough with ds (2). I ask him to show me his 'crocodile teeth' and as soon as he opens his mouth, I scream in 'terror' and scrub away at this teeth saying 'Aargh, crocodile teeth!". Ds loves it. I look a complete fool, but it works....for now...