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Original poster

tooth brushing for 18 month old

23 replies

furniture · 01/05/2004 14:30

How important is it for an 18 month old to 'properly' brush their teeth? My dd won't let me even try to help her so she just kind of sucks on the brush and dips it in and out of the glass of water (she loves the taste of toothpaste and would just use it as a toothpaste spatula if I let her ) until she gets bored. We get her to 'brush' her teeth in the morning with us and at night in her bath but to be honest they aren't being brushed at all and I can't seem to get her to get the hang of it. Will she lose all those little pearly whites?

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gothicmama · 01/05/2004 15:47

have been in similar situation
We have 'races' who brush front sides and backs and finish exactly when buzzer goes - we have a kitchen timer to time 2 mins also we let her choose tooth brush and some where along the line we have ended up having to buy blue and red kids tooth paste so we can make it purple for her ( dentist has not spotted an probs) Dd is 3 and will not let anyone help her do her teeth
Hope this helps

Original poster
furniture · 02/05/2004 21:13

But how do you get her to actually brush them? So far my dd just sucks the toothpaste off the brush and spits it out again. The art of brushing is non-existent.

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Gemg · 02/05/2004 21:46

I started getting my ds to let me brush his by making aeroplane noises and train noises and flying the brush around the room and eventually into his mouth and while he laughed I could just about do a bit of brushing. He understands counting I think and so if I say "right I'll brush your teeth and count to 5" he'll let me do it - (we can get to 10 and beyond now). We still have bad days now and again but it's much better than it was. Good luck!

MeanBean · 02/05/2004 21:47

I have the same problem - my DD won't allow any help, but the dentist has told me that until they are about seven, they can't possibly do it themselves as they haven't got the manual skills. I'm sure I was brushing my teeth by myself by about the age of four though.

I usually hold DD down and forcibly brush them (very difficult to do, and cannot do it thoroughly as I'm scared I'll hurt her) but would like to know a better method!

gingerbear · 02/05/2004 22:59

DD is also a toothbrush sucker!!

I try the 'right, lets brush Pooh Bear/Noddy/teddy/dolly's teeth ,now its your turn' approach; make up tales about the 'toothbrush mouse' (he goes eek eek when you clean teeth properly....)

I also try to clean her teeth when she is not tired - best in a morning, a quick flick at night. I took her to the dentist for the first time the other day, and he said just to persevere - no advice really,
He also said that in spite of improper brushing, her teeth were fine - it is more important to stop sweets and sugary drinks.

Chelle · 03/05/2004 01:01

DS was a terror when trying to clean his teeth. Our dentist said to try harder at night in small children and not worry so much if can't get teeth done in the morning (best if you can, though) as a lot of saliva is produced during the day to help wash stuff off the teeth.

Eventually DS would let us brush his teeth if we sang a special "toothbrushing" song. The teeth cleaning would go for as long as the song, so I just kept adding to the song and singing it slower until we got to about 2 minutes of toothbrushing. I think we started the song toothbrushing when he was between 18 months and two years. Now he is nearly 5 (in June) and brushes his own teeth every morning and most nights and I brush them thoroughly for him probably every second night. I know he can't do a thorough job on his own teeth yet, but he is very independent and for the sake of not constantly fighting I have given in on this for now. We have also limited fruit juice to once a day only (morning) and removed other sugary drinks completely.

DD, on the other hand (turned 2 on 1 May), is happy to let me clean her teeth each night and most mornings. She also has to have a turn and does like to suck and chew the toothbrush but we use the toothbrushing song with her too and she is happy to let us brush for her.

Good luck

gothicmama · 03/05/2004 05:53

Sorry foe delay in replying Furniture she learntto brush by coping me (I used to over emphasis the mechanics of brushing ,pull funny faces) etc. just to demonstrate how it was done Hope it helps

Original poster
furniture · 03/05/2004 12:39

Thanks for the replies.

Chelle, what was the toothbrushing song? Just roughly I mean. I've tried to invent a couple which amuse her but still leave those little jaws clamped firmly shut.

I think I'll give the aeroplane trick a go - dive in with the brush and get a bit done each time. It might work. Either that or I'm going to have to take her by force!

If I think how horrible and gunky my teeth feel if I forget to clean them in the morning it amazes me that dd's look so plaque-free despite never being brushed.

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cori · 03/05/2004 15:07

mY DS was exactly the same at 18 months, in fact he pretty much refused to have his teeth brushed (without (forcibly holding him down)for about 6 months. Then all of a sudden he started to cooperate and would ask for his tooth brush. He is now 2.3 and has been co-operating since before christmas. Just make sure she doesnt have too many sweets and water down Juice, she will probably be OK.

hatter · 03/05/2004 18:48

DD2 (nearly 2) is going through a phase of refusing to co-operate. Tricks I have read about and tried with varying success include letting her "brush" mine at the same time; letting her use my toothbrush, and using those baby brushes that you put on the end of your finger. I was talking about this yesterday with a friend who says that her ds was the same - she gave me one good tip which was that if you get a few seconds decent brushing before the mouth is clamped shut then make sure you always start in a different place

Original poster
furniture · 03/05/2004 20:24

Thanks hatter, I'll remember that one!

cori, dd doesn't 'refuse', i.e. she loves having her tooth brush and adores the taste of toothpaste it's just that she only sucks and never brushes. Maybe a bit of the toothpaste she sucks will circulate around her teeth ... ???

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Dreams · 03/05/2004 22:13

Hi furniture i have exactly the same problam as you my ds is a sucker and not a brusher too! he is now 19 months and has a fit everytime i try to brush his teeth he likes to hold his toothbrush himself but just sucks on it.
No advice apart from forcing for the time being and maybe they will realise its something that has to be done every day!
I brush my teeth at the same time and try to show him how its done he has brushed the front ones a few times but never gets any further. I always tell him hes clever when doing it and try to encourage but i think it is quite hard at this age!

Chelle · 04/05/2004 03:00

The "toothbrushing" song came from an old tape my parents used to play to us when travelling in the car. It comes from the Toothbrush Family and goes:

Brush your teeth
Round and round
Circle small
Gums and all
A small soft toothbrush the round and round way
Will keep your gums healthy and stop tooth decay
So clean very carefully three times a day
Go round and round
Round and round

It is the the tune of three blind mice. Hope this helps.

katierocket · 04/05/2004 07:17

if the singing or games etc don't work you will have to just force her. sorry to sound harsh but you need to brush them and she will quickly learn. my ds was the same and now is perfectly happpy to have them brushed.

Original poster
furniture · 04/05/2004 12:30

Thanks Chelle, I'll memorise that song! It's a good one. I've used songs a lot with dd, mostly that I've invented like a rap number called 'get yer trousers on' etc. etc.

I think I may have to do a force clean as well now and then just so that I know they are getting a brush properly at least a couple of times a week.

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katierocket · 04/05/2004 12:35

furniture - if you're going to make sure they're done you should maybe do it every night, that way she'll quickly understand. just doing it some night might be confusing?

sarahconnorek · 05/05/2004 00:07

a good thing i've found doing is to buy a really good toothbrush eg. characters/fimbles ect.. and only let my son use it if he lets me do it first to show him how its done properly, I pretend to him he forgets through the day how to really do it properly because his mind is on other things, so we do it together - first we fill the cup with water together, then he sits on my knee first we do a big AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH and we try to keep doing this otherwise he will not get to do it himself afterwards, then we do eeeeeeeeeeeeeee with teeth closed, I brush the front of his teeth, once I feel his teeth are brushed I give him the brush and let him do the aaaa and eeeee himself to see how well he has learnt, then he gets some water from the cup (i do same) we then spit into the bath usually because its all he can reach. he seems to find it really good fun using the toothbrush, and if he doesnt do it properly he doesnt get to use it. At first he was only doing it right maybe once every 2 days. but now he's learnt i dont give in he does it perfect every time.
Im sorry that was long, hope it has helped in some way.

Original poster
furniture · 05/05/2004 10:00

Thanks sarah, I think maybe your ds is a bit older than my dd? Either that or he's much brighter! She's not quite at the stage where I can reason that fully with her. I managed last night to get a good brush of the bottom teeth and tonight I'm going for the top ones.

Does anyone know, incidentally, what the danger is to these little teeth if they're not brushed properly?

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marthamoo · 05/05/2004 10:25

Mine are more enthusiastic with a battery-powered toothbrush. Ds2 has a Buzz Lightyear one. They say not before age 4 (?) but I asked my dentist and he said it was fine with supervision. With ds2 I sing, and I also make a game of saying his teeth are dirty - listing what he's had to eat. So I say "open wide, let's see...oh I can see baked beans....cheese...chocolate cake on your teeth...let's get them nice and clean." That seems to help!

SofiaAmes · 05/05/2004 21:52

My dentist said the bristles on those battery powered one were too stiff for baby teeth and would wear them away. Hmm. Where are our mumsnet dentists?
With my ds when he was that age and now my dd who is 18 mo. I play a little game of naughty toothbrush (we had animal shaped ones for ds that were perfect) and good toothbrush. The naughty toothbrush would "jump" and brush ds's cheek or nose or chin and then he would laugh and it would get some brushing done in the open mouth and then he'd close it again and the naughty toothbrush would jump over to his cheek etc. making him laugh and open his mouth. Of course I had to wash his face afterwards, but at least it resulted in clean (ish) teeth. Eventually he started requesting the "good" toothbrush and let me brush his teeth without resorting tricks. It is easier with the 2nd as dd just wants to copy everything ds is doing.

maomao · 06/05/2004 06:37

My dd is only 12 months, but going thru a similar thing. We let her choose her toothbrush, and give her one to brush our teeth whilst we brush hers. She seems to like that part. We also do the "open wide and say 'ahhh'" thing, but singing silly wordless tunes, which she also enjoys....

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