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Original poster

OK to brush 9-mth-old's teeth BEFORE last milk feed?

14 replies

toky · 30/10/2004 10:07

At the mo his bedtime routine is tea, bath, milk, bed, but we're just starting to brush his teeth and need to decide where to fit that in. He gets so sleepy after his bedtime breastfeed that it would be suicide to attempt brushing his teeth (something we've just started) afterwards.

Will it be ok to do his teeth after bath but before milk?

I guess after 12 months or so the routine will change - maybe tea, bath, milk, teeth, story, bed???

OP posts:
Skate · 30/10/2004 10:35

I always brush my ds's teeth at bath time and they always take a cup of milk up to bed with them.

Probably wrong but when I was little I don't think I ever brushed my teeth at night and I've only got one filling to this day!

moomina · 30/10/2004 10:39

Very glad someone else has admitted to this! Ds has his teeth brushed in the bath and then milk before bed. He is so sleepy after his milk that, as you say, it would be madness to then take him into the bathroom and start the teeth routine!

tammybear · 30/10/2004 10:43

Really, they should have their teeth brushed before they go to bed and after milk, but tbh my dd doesnt allow me to brush them before she goes to bed. she'll head straight for her cot when it's time for bed, and will kick up a fuss when she's taken anywhere else. and id rather have a peaceful night with her going straight to sleep, rather than trying to calm her back down!

Stripymouse · 30/10/2004 11:48

We have dinner, playtime, last drink/bottle, bath and teeth brushing in the bath, storytime and bed. Used to do the bath and teeth then last bottle with DD1 for a short while because the bottle would make her sleepy but gave in to pressure from Dh who was paranoid I was harming her teeth. Took a week to adjust the routine and did wonder if we ever would get there but now works.
Personally, I would try to get it the "right" way round sooner rather than later as it is hard to switch once a routine is well established. My DD2 has been in the habit of bottle, teeth and bath ever since her first two teeth and so knows nothing different. To calm her down after hectic days I will give her a small amount of water in a bottle which works well. The storytime with dimmed lighting also works well.

Stripymouse · 30/10/2004 11:50

just re read that and it makes me sound holier than thou - not trying to be, just that I have done it the other way round and know it works but switched under pressure and found that it can work too with a small amount of initial effort. If it weren?t for DH I prob. would never have bothered changing as I am normally a great believer in not rocking the boat when sleep is concerned

Original poster
toky · 30/10/2004 11:55

Stripy what ages were your DDs when you changed their routines?

OP posts:
Stripymouse · 30/10/2004 12:15

DD1 was nearly 18months (I think) before we switched. She was off a bottle but in the habit (I am cringing when I admit this) of taking a juice cup with sugar free juice in it every night. It was like a comforter for her - she never had a dummy and cuddled that rather than a teddy! Obviously was a really bad thing and diluting it over time didn?t work. In the end made a harsh total and sudden switch to water and changed the routine at the same time. Took a good week and she wasn?t happy - but now knows no different.
DD2 was 5 months when she got her first tooth brush - just checked in her book. She had a well established last bottle for the night routine and not waking for anymore and so we thought it a good time as her first two teeth had sprung and were really visible.

pesme · 30/10/2004 12:57

Hi toky, I do this and asked a dental hygenist adn she said it was ok.

Original poster
toky · 30/10/2004 13:16

pesme did she say when you should swap things round??

OP posts:
pesme · 30/10/2004 13:21

nope, it didn't occur to me to want to change things around. the prospect of cleaning her teeth between boob & bed fills me with horror.

sponge · 30/10/2004 13:48

My dd has always taken a cup of milk to bed and still does aged 4. Her teeth are fine so far. This is the main time she drinks milk so I tend to think (hope) that the benefits of the calcium balance out the lack of cleaning.

Stripymouse · 30/10/2004 14:07

I wonder if the advice is different for bf mums to those who bottle feed pesme?
Interesting that they said this as a family dentist friend constantly goes on about how soft and vulnerable baby teeth are and how important it is to brush after final feed. Will ask him when I next see him.

hercules · 30/10/2004 14:11

I never brushed ds after last milk feed and he has never had any problems with his teeth.

Original poster
toky · 30/10/2004 18:26

pesme I meant maybe when you stop breastfeeding for example?

OP posts:
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