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Original poster

How can I brush a 15month olds teeth?

43 replies

kbaby · 01/09/2005 20:36

Help,
DD wont let me go anywhere near her mouth. If I give her a toothbrush she will put it in her mouth and bite on it a bit but mainly dips it back in the water and sucks all the water out.
I could see the tope of her teeth today and im sure there is tartar already on them.
How can I brush her teeth or make her do it properly or does it even matter?

OP posts:
purpleturtle · 01/09/2005 20:39

The time before last when we visited the dentist with ours who were 4 and 2, she asked how we got on with teeth brushing. We replied honestly - pretty much like your description, and she nodded sympathetically, and said that what's most important then is diet. Don't give her stuff that'll rot her teeth in her head.

Interestingly, that trip to the dentist made ours much more enthusiastic about dental hygiene, although they still use their toothbrushes to drink water quite often!

fisil · 01/09/2005 20:41

we've always brushed ds1's teeth in bed - there's nowhere to run!

fisil · 01/09/2005 20:41

we've always brushed ds1's teeth in bed - there's nowhere to run!

janeybops · 01/09/2005 20:41

I use the wrap up in towel - swaddled style - along wiht operation pin down. Lovely and clean by the end of it!

Springchicken · 01/09/2005 20:43

God only knows KBaby, I'm having the same trouble with DD, she is 14 months nearly.
She doesn;t even suck out the water, she just licks the tootchpaste off and then throws the toothbrush.

kath4kids · 01/09/2005 20:49

mmmm same prob with 17 month old, tried singing 'this is the way we brush our teeth' pinning him down, telling him he can do it when i've had a go and he just has a fit and shakes his head.

Isn't parenting wonderful

henshake · 01/09/2005 20:49

I had the same problem with my DD and I thought then that I was the only one.

I used to let her have a go on her own first with the slightest amount of toothpaste on and let her have a quick play with it. Then Florrie Fimble would come out and ask to see how Mummy brushes DDs teeth. Florrie would have to look in her mouth and declare that the teeth definitely needed brushing and would then proceed to do the brushing.

At the end Florrie would declare there was now a beautiful shining mouth of teeth.

DD would want other toys checking her teeth on other mornings. Can't quite remember how many toys are now professional teeth cleaners!

spots · 01/09/2005 21:11

Hi Kbaby; think this must be universal problem! They aren't old enough to discuss it yet which is the worst I think. I went through a zero tolerance phase wuth DD when she at least had her mouth open when crying! Now got a better method: a running joke where I flick toothpaste froth in my own face by pulling the bristles of the brush out past her teeth. The more I make 'Eurgh' noises the more she laughs and the more brushing gets done. I always wonder halfway through the evening why my specs are so mucky, then I remember! Eurgh indeed.

Chickyboo · 01/09/2005 21:25

I think the pressure to make children brush their teeth is unbelievable.
There are so many other things that we are supposed to make them understand at this early age/stage, it is beyond belief.

Anyway I can really understand the importance of brushing their teeth until you can converse with them.

Sooo much pressure to do the right thing b*dy health visitors, no offence intended I know they have targets to meet.

sweetkitty · 01/09/2005 21:30

I brush my 13 mo DDs with our electic toothbrush I found it much easier than a manual one as you only need to hold it against the teeth and it does the rest no scrubbing required. She's fine with it she'll follow me into the bathroom in the morning I do mine then she does hers and mine again! I've made it a funny game she watches me and herself in the mirror as well.

Chickyboo · 01/09/2005 21:32

We use electric toothbrush but dd is really scared of the noise.

sweetkitty · 01/09/2005 21:40

me and herself - my grammar is appalling tonight sorry

my DD loves to touch the toothbrush when its rotating

TracyK · 01/09/2005 21:42

I use the finger toothbrush and then you can really feel where you are scrubbing. I have found recently that ds will let me brush for ages if he's watching himself in a mirror?? don't kno why but am going with it for now.

serah · 01/09/2005 21:42

I know an 8 month old is not quite the same "animal", but my DS now has 6 teeth, and I considered what the best way to get him to accept having his teeth brushed was.....

I don't know what that is yet, but I bought him a baby toothbrush and I give him it to play with (of course, invariably ends up in his mouth) so he is getting used to the sensation of it. Perhaps the fact that your DD is dipping it in water and putting it in her mouth is a good thing, as she is getting used to it? I don't know, obviously its just conjecture. Perhaps offer her a bowl of water to dip in, followed by a tiny blob of toothpaste to dip in with you doing it too??

I could not even begin to consider "brushing" DS's teeth yet as I know his reaction when I so much as try to look at his teeth!

As with anything, I like Sweetkitty's "game plan" (as t'wer) in making it a good game... something I will definitely take on board

calvemjoe · 01/09/2005 22:15

My ds is 17mnths old and I have just about managed to get him to let me brush his teeth every day but it was a difficult place to get to. The best way that I found was to brush his teeth at the same time as my dh was cleaning his telling him the whole time that he was a big boy like daddy, then he gets to have a go.

I sit him on my knee and wrap my arm around him over his arms to stop him from taking the toothbrush off me and tell him in a very bright voice (bordering on manic!) 'bottom back teeth, bottom back teeth, bottom front teeth, nearly done....' etc until it's done. Then I let him have a go until he gets fed up.

However, if he's teething there isn't a chance of getting anywhere near his mouth, he just sucks the toothpaste off the brush and gives it me back, then i just avoid sugars and give him water instead of juice. I don't want it to become a battle ground and one day he will relise that clean teeth are nice....I hope!!

bran · 01/09/2005 22:44

My ds is 14.5 months and brushes his teeth although he doesn't do the inside so I do that for him. He's only been doing his teeth for about 3 weeks now, up until then we didn't bother because he didn't get teeth until around his first birthday and doesn't drink juice. For about a fortnight before we even gave him a toothbrush we let him watch us brushing our teeth in the mornings. Then the first few times we gave him the toothbrush dh or I cleaned our teeth in front of him (made my post baby bedtime cup of green tea taste horrible). We try to have a giggle with him when he's doing it, and like TracyK's ds he loves watching himself in the mirror whilst brushing.

Carlk · 01/09/2005 23:13

dd 16 months had a phase where she totally refused to have her teeth cleaned.
we got round it by letting her stand on a chair at the sink and run her hands under the tap/splash in the water etc..
this even stopped her lifelong dislike of having her face washed because although we still do it for her afterwards she can now wash her hands and face like a big girl.
more and more recently tantrums and screaming are avoided by involving her in the first person with tasks like these. It seems it's the lack of control she hates most.

leilinha · 01/09/2005 23:37

I have 14 month old daughter and I have always brushed her teeth in the bath since her first tooth came through. I use colgate my first toothpaste and the special oral b toothbrush for little ones. You could try a strawberry flavour toothpaste to encourage her to open her mouth. I let her have a go at brushing her teeth when I have finished. Avoid giving her anything that will damage her teeth and gums like sweets, juice etc. Give her cheese and pieces of apple instead which are good for teeth. Just be very patient and distract her by singing or a new bath toy. Also, tell her what a good girl she is and open your mouth while you brush her teeth, say aahh. If worse come to worse do it the next day while she is less tired, calm and relaxed. Also, be aware of teething pain. She won't let me near her teeth unless I've got teething gel!

bobbybob · 02/09/2005 05:24

Kneel down and lie her facing away from you with head clamped between your knees announce you are going to do tickle teeth (or some other name you invent) and just get on with it - she will cry, she will scream, she will wriggle, but not as much as if she has to have teeth removed, and at some point she will get used to it.

Ds now reminds us if we forget!

Another tip is to always start in a different place, so that they all get done in the course of 3 days

Twiglett · 02/09/2005 08:00

always take her in the bathroom when you brush yours so it becomes a routine thing

put on a little baby toothpaste and hand her the toothbrush

make it a game (false laughs help)

let her chew and suck on it and play with running water

gradually start to brush her teeth with another brush .. might take a few weeks

do not panic it is a normal reaction for them but if it becomes routine it will be fine

I would not advocate holding them down, creates a stress reaction that makes them even more obstinate IMO

sweetkitty · 02/09/2005 08:11

I agree with Twiglett about not holding them down they will hate it even more, I would begin by holding her up to the mirror when you are brushing your teeth for a few days, theya re naturally curious and my DD wants to copy everything I do. Then say "it's your turn mummy brush your teeth" we take it in turns I brush her teeth she brushes mine. We have a laugh and a giggle whilst doing it, sometimes if shes tired we only get a few seconds doing it but I reckon if some toothpaste has got in there it's ok. Then we rinse, I just scoop some water on her tongue and then we wipe with the towel (this is a funny game too).

Most of the time she follows me into the bathroom when I brush my teeth and waits for her turn.

I think the main thing is make it a game, let her see you doing it, don't stress if she only lets you do it for a few seconds better than nothing.

good luck

henshake · 02/09/2005 20:34

bobbybob - PMSL, I hope you are joking.

lunavix · 02/09/2005 20:40

We have a small toothbrush and punch and judy toothpaste. (it's fruit flavoured)

the only way he lets us do it is we have to sing 'this is the way we brush our teeth' to the 'here we go round the mulberry bush' song. He then bares his teeth in a big grin.

Then after two rounds of the song (about his patience threashold) he gets it and chews the brush a bit!

bobbybob · 03/09/2005 04:05

Er no, I'm serious, there is plenty of stuff that can be optional or made fun, but teeth cleaning is something that has to be done properly, and that means by an adult. I'm not violent or anything and I talk calmly to him the whole time - maybe it's something you would have to see to believe that I haven't traumatised him for life.

magnolia1 · 03/09/2005 07:11

Katie has 2 toothbrushes, one she has in the bath and one for 'proper' teeth cleaning. I think because she is able to 'clean her own teeth' in the bath she has learnt that it is fun and so we have no problems. In fact it is the opposite, she sometimes wants to clean her teeth for hours

And sorry to say this but physically holding a child down 'clamped between your knees' is going to traumatise your child in one way or another!!

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