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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Cleaning teeth

17 replies

aideesmum · 26/04/2006 13:23

My ds (14mo) has 7 teeth but really hates them being cleaned. The problem is I can't seem to clean them properly with the toothbrush, any ideas to get them clean?

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Marne · 26/04/2006 13:27

I find it hard to do dd1's, i let her do it herself first then she does mine and then she lets me do hers (for a few seconds). I she wont let me do it i pin her down

laundrylover · 26/04/2006 14:19

Just stick at it but it may remain a battle! As long as you are giving them a tickle it's better than nothing. As I read in a book last week 'they'll all fall out anyway before they reach secondary school!'.
Hey Marne come and join us on the postnatal thread - how you doing??

TheBlonde · 26/04/2006 14:44

\link{http://www.mambaby.com/websystem301/site/index.php?articleid=1307&nodeid=49\this} or a flannel works for me when the toothbrush is resisted

lazycow · 26/04/2006 14:45

Good luck. My ds has 16 of them and at 16 months screams blue murder as if I'm killing him when I clean them. It is a job I absolutely loathe -

Here is what I do - In the morning he is allowed to clean them himself (i.e just chew the brush) and we play some games so that I sometimes get to brush the odd tooth without him crying too much

In the evening I just hold him and brush as much/as well as I can until I can't stand the screaming any more. Then he chews the brush until I take it off him before he goes to bed - then we get the screaming again - Get the picture.

I used to try playing etc in the evening too but I wasn't getting anywhere and it was taking ages to brush his teeth really badly. Now I still brush them badly but it just takes 2 mins max

Hey ho.

FrayedKnot · 26/04/2006 15:06

I get DS to make Tarzan noises while we do teeth, it's working a treat. he thinks it's hilarious and it distracts him from what I'm really doing

CHICagoMUM · 26/04/2006 15:09

try \link{http://www.babyeden.co.uk/erol.html#1481x0&&blockedReferrer\one of these perhaps?}

mumfor1standfinaltime · 26/04/2006 15:15

I let ds (16m) 'brush' them himself while I am changing or washing him etc, then I say 'let mummy see your pearly white teeth etc and take the brush from him and quickly brush around his teeth.
I dont believe its something that can be rushed into and you should let them 'ease into'learning how to brush properly. It should be fun and certainly not a screaming match!

Flum · 26/04/2006 15:17

I put my 2 year old in a headlock - i kid you not. it is the only time i know I will make her cry. must be doing psychological damage for sure

louismummy · 26/04/2006 15:22

we use the head lock technique in the evening. sometimes we make funny sounds which makes ds laugh therefore easier to brush. if he's being really difficult i put a finger in at the back to prop mouth open and do it. but both his parents are dentists...!!!

Orinoco · 26/04/2006 20:34

Please don't laugh.

The toothbrush has to talk to my dd2(2.10) and ask to look at her teeth to see if it can guess what she's been eating today.

It's the only thing that works for us! I've tried her brushing mine (oooh the mouthulcers where she bashed me put me off that method), headlock, you clean them and Mummy just check them after.... but nothing works as well as the talking toothbrush. Amazes me, as I don't even have to try to disguise moving my mouth, she'll happily talk to a blue plastic brush......

lunarx · 27/04/2006 12:34

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lunarx · 27/04/2006 12:34

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pepperrabbit · 27/04/2006 13:21

I'm so glad it's not just me that has to do the headlock thing! At 23 months DS1 is a complete nightmare and it's only the fact that he screams that means I can get to all his teeth.
I may try the talking toothbrush trick though, Orinoco, it sounds no sillier than all the other inanimate objects that "talk" in the land of babies . We have a talking spoon, and the flannel can get very chatty in the bath if we've been playing outside!

cornflakegirl · 27/04/2006 13:31

slight sidetrack - but does anyone know how long after meals you're supposed to leave it before cleaning their teeth. i remember being told that you have an acid attack that temporarily weakens the enamel for about 30 mins after eating, so you shouldn't brush during that time?

pinkmagic1 · 27/04/2006 13:43

I can only bear doing it once a day, twice would be just too traumatic. DH has to pin DS, 23 months, down while I clean!

burstingbug · 29/04/2006 22:14

Luckily my ds (14 mths with 12 teeth) lets me brush them for him when he's in the bath. :)

jamiesam · 29/04/2006 22:22

Imagine taking your nearly 4 yr old to the dentists to be told that his 4 (rearmost? only?) molars are rotten, one needs a filling, one is past that stage already, the others we'll keep an eye on. I was . But also with myself because ds had always hated having his teeth brushed and struggled when I did it.

I'm afraid it was gloves off!

Nice mummy got him an electric toothbrush (so much easier to get into mouth and around teeth than a regular one) and played the game 'what food can I see on your teeth today'.

Nasty mummy just got him in a headlock and brushed his teeth whether he wanted me to or not.

At last dentists visit (6 months later) dentist says we've arrested the decay and his teeth might just hold out until they'd naturally fall out anyway.

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