Brushing teeth

[Beabea]

How can I get my 14month DD to brush her teeth. She only has a few really so should I worry or just let her brush them when she wants. We do try morning and night. Mostly she sucks the brush then looses interest.

Thanks

I was told by a dentist, that simply sucking the toothpaste of the brush is sufficient enough at a young age.

What i used to do is let her do it, and then every couple of days i'd catch her in a good mood and give them a good brush myself. That way it didn't become a horrible chore that she hated. of course it also helps to let them see you brushing your teeth. My dd used to want everything we had, so we'd pretend to start brushing our teeth with her brush, and of course she'd want it thinking it was ours, and so we'd give it to her.

Thanks. Yes sometimes even when she has already done her teeth I will give her the toothbrush again when I am doing mine. Only trouble is mine is electric!

DH is quite good at getting them done more. So atleast she has a good clean a couple of times a week.

You have a long way to go before you can expect her to brush her own teeth! You have to brush them for her. Let her play with the brush as well, but don't expect her to brush her own teeth for a long, long while yet. My dd's 4.5 and still has to have help with brushing her teeth.

I read you have to brush kids teeth til they are 7 or 8.

my DD is 17 mths and up until last week would not let me hold the brush - she too just sucks it.

then I had a brainwave - "lets brush dolly's teeth" (DD carries her dolly everywhere 24/7

Now I brush dolly and then DD then dolly then DD etc

works a treat

Thanks for the suggestions. I dont expect her to brush her own teeth. I can get to the ones at the front but she wont let me brush her teeth at the back. In fact she rarely lets me brush any. So looks like we will stick to the sucking for a while.

My 18month old is obsessed with brushing her own teeth which is making life difficult when I have to get dd1 to school.

Have you tried the finger tooth brush - it's less liekly to stab them in the back of the throat. ds lets me do it most days while I distract him with a mirror or running the tap for him to soak himself with!

ds used to struggle a lot but dh got him to say 'ah' by saying it himself, and he thought that was funny so he would let us brush while he said ah. he now has a dinosaur toothbrush so it's more 'raaarrgh'

Personally I have always insisted on brushing my kid's teeth. With 18 mo DD I let her stand on the step at the sink like her big bro and then we take it in turns. Because I also brush his teeth (after he's had a go) its more acceptable to her.

Oh we say ah too and get DS to do it.

My dd has had dental surgery to correct gaps in enamel on her molars (was done at 4). The dental surgeon's advice was brush morning and night and floss as soon as they have one tooth. Even if your child has fallen asleep at night without brushing you still need to brush their teeth. My children don't even wake up during this!!!
Children don't have the dexterity in their hands/wrists to brush their own teeth properly until the age of 12. I am a bit of a fanatic about this though because I have terrible teeth with a mouth full of fillings due part to genes and mostly to my parents not teaching me dental hygiene at a young age.

Let her brush yours, i do this and i also ask him if he wants it nice or nasty?

Nice - he gets to brush and then i do all of his teeth and he feels happy.

Nasty - i put him on the floor and i make him have his teeth brushed.

He always picks nice apart from the few times he has tried to test me.