teeth cleaning

[woose]

Hello
My DS is 20 months and trying to get him to clean his teeth is a nightmare. He screams and screams and I just don't know what to do. I don't want him to have negative feelings about cleaning teeth because I obviously want his teeth to be healthy and for him to clean them twice a day every day. My DH is more forceful with him about cleaning them and gets cross but I tend to try a bit and then give up. What do you think the best approach is for this issue. Any advice would be great.

Try not to make it a battle.

My mother did a fabulous job of making teeth cleaning fun for my daughter when I was failing miserably. She took her on a special shopping trip to Waitrose to choose toothbrushes and toothpaste (my mother buys limitless gimmicky toothbrushes for her grandchildren - one of her few concessions to consumerism ) and made sure they always brushed their teeth together after meals when they were together.

My daughter has a strong associations now between toothbrushing and her Granny (who she loves very much).

Try putting some water and a jug or a few toys in the sink which he can play with whilst you clean his teeth

Or you could let him hold a toothbrush whilst you clean his teeth with another one

Agree with Anna.

I am for the more relaxed approach. Unless you or dh have a history of cavities (possibly heritable) or your ds consumes a lot of sugary sweet things, I would just back off for a bit and then try to make it fun for him to get him back into it.

My dd did not really let us go near her teeth until about 3-4 and even now, she wants to brush it herself (which still involves sucking the toothbrush/paste). She had a recent visit to the dentist (again that took 2 attempts spaced wide apart) and was given a perfect bill of dental health.

With ds, also around 20 months, it is easier because he imitates his sister. He consumes a LOT of toothpaste (make sure you use baby toothpaste). And spends far more time playing with the water and wetting his toothbrush and putting on more toothpaste ad infinitum than brushing.

I think getting children to clean their teeth is a bit like toilet-training - if you wait long enough, they actually learn to clean their teeth because they are aware it is unpleasant to have dirty teeth. My daughter (3.7) often tells me now that she wants to clean her teeth because she has xxx (whatever food she had at the last meal) all over them.

But, as blueshoes says, you need to feel confident that your DC doesn't have a high genetic risk of cavities or a sugar-filled diet to be relaxed about early tooth cleaning.

I never, ever gave my daughter fruit juice or sugary drinks and she still only drinks milk and water.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will try the toys in the water. I also think I will try getting him a fun toothbrush. I will try to get my DH to back off a bit so that it is not such a big deal. His never really look dirty to me, so it is probably ok to leave them a bit. Also, I think he gets more upset because sometimes his mouth hurts when new teeth are coming through

It might be tricky to give him one toothbrush whilst I use another onebecause he just throws the toothbrush across the room.

I try not to give him too many sugary foods, although he does have watered down juice, do you think that is too much for a child of 20 months? Shouls it just be water and milk? He does not have squash or fizzy drinks

My dd and ds have lots of diluted Ribena. As far as I know, their teeth are perfick.

The dentists I know have all said to try to avoid any kind of sugary drinks (and sweets, obviously) than can leave a fine sugar coating on their teeth. So I have tried, and luckily enough my daughter doesn't like fruit juice etc even when offered.

It's a phase

I have started a thread before about this re dd2

She was a nightmare with regard to brushing teeth. In the last month has 'outgrown' it and is very compliant now