Top tips on persuading a 1 year old to let me clean her teeth

[Izzywhizzy]

All advice gratefully recieved. She loves holding the toothbrush, but just pushes it out with her tongue everytime I try to brush her teeth.

Anyone got any fool proof methods I could try?

Let teddy or other soft toy brush? Mine found that funny, although often had to just pin them down and force-brush. Better than tooth-decay!

Trying to make it fun with songs and a cute toothbrush and all the rest of it - it does usually work, eventually, but to be honest, 1 yr old is very young. I think I was doing the old 'hold her down and endure the screeches' at that age. better that than rotten teeth. Since the age of about 2 and a half my son has been much better and has 'his turn' cleaning his teeth before handing over to me for a proper scrub, no fuss.

I give DS a toothbrush so that he can brush my teeth while I brush his. It gives him the illusion of having some control - he hates having things 'done to' him! Also we always brush his toy dinosaurs' teeth afterwards. And I sing the song from CBeebies to the tune of the Hokey Cokey 'you put your toothpaste on, your toothbrush in...' etc. etc. Sometimes it's a battle though...