Brushing a reluctant 14 month olds teeth

[Kitchenqueen2]

In the past few weeks it has become impossible to brush my 14 month old daughters teeth! I say ‘Ahhhh’ so she opens her mouth wide but as soon as the toothbrush comes near she either sticks her tongue out, clamps her mouth shut, moves her head or tries to take the toothbrush off me. I try to treat it like a game as I don’t want to pin her down and traumatise her (although it was easier to get at her teeth when she did cry once) Has anyone got any advice? Thanks in advance x

Be 'silly mummy' who can't remember what to do. Pretend to brush her hair/nose/knees/fingers etc with the toothbrush and look puzzled when she shakes her head. That technique always had my DDs shouting at me within a minute: "No, mummy, my TEETH! Brush my TEETH!"

I would also pretend to put custard or tomato ketchup on the toothbrush.

Brush the animals out of her teeth.
“Ooh, dd, you’ve got monkeys back here. We’ve got to brush them out. Ooh ooh, eeEEee, there we go. Oh, but now there’s sheep in these ones down here. Baaaaaa. Got to brush those out.” Etc etc.
Keep stream of drivel and animal noises up until all teeth cleaned. They are mesmerised by it. Dd actually started asking to have her teeth cleaned!

If all else fails then you HAVE to pin them. Tooth brushing is none negotiable, the more they scream the better.

Having to have teeth extracted is far more traumatic for both parent and kid.

My DTs are 16mos.

I don't allow them much sweet stuff or any dried fruit so before their first dentist visit they get their teeth brushed once a day.

In the evenings, Mean Mummy brushes, pinning down or doing whatever.

Mornings, they brush. We sit on the floor, they each get a brush with toothpaste on, and they chew away. It is easily the highlight of their morning. And I figure their teeth get some accidental brushing.

That way it,'s not always a battle. Seeing the dentist in 8w and we'll see what she reckons!

My boy is 2 and very reluctant. The only way is for both of us to have a toothbrush and he kind of does mine while I kind of do his

If all else fails then you HAVE to pin them. Tooth brushing is none negotiable, the more they scream the better.
*
Having to have teeth extracted is far more traumatic for both parent and kid.*

^^This. In spades. If you don't manage to get a good brushing every single time because you're too busy trying to keep her happy it can have disastrous results. Get it done and she'll grow out of stopping it.