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Original poster

Unable to clean toddler’s teeth, any tips?

31 replies

Yayayo · 22/04/2019 21:00

So my DD is 18 months and when she was a baby she loved having her teeth/gums cleaned. Then it all started to change when she turned 1, to the point that now she hates it. I somehow manage to clean her bottom ones before she goes to bed, she doesn’t mind that too much, but she hates me touching her top ones, she goes absolutely mental. So they’ve not been cleaned for weeks now Shock

Any tips would be very much appreciated x

OP posts:
Bluefargo · 23/04/2019 09:31

You can get chewable toothbrushes from boots that she can use to do a little bit of it at least it's something.

There's a good Elmo video on you tube that helped us too.

Bribing also worked with us and the odd time I just insisted on it and my husband held her while I did them.

PrincessDaff · 23/04/2019 09:36

We started singing the brushing teeth song by little baby bum on youtube every time our DS was brushing his teeth from when he was around that age (he is 2 next month). I also did my teeth with him every time so he could watch. It took a few weeks but now he asks to brush his teeth and we still sing the song.

strawbmilk · 23/04/2019 09:43

You tube super simple songs brush your teeth. My LO is given the iPhone and opens her mouth as she knows what's happening and the phone distracts her. We also found an electric tooth brush helped. She's 17m. Good luck x

Original poster
Yayayo · 23/04/2019 09:54

Thank you everyone x

We give her the iPhone too, so that’s how we manage to do the bottom ones. Still didn’t work for the top teeth. Good idea about cleaning my teeth at the same time.

Bluefargo - The chewable brush didn’t work for us, maybe I didn’t get the right one?! She spat it out Confused

OP posts:
Haworthia · 23/04/2019 09:57

I used to pin them down and force it.

The screaming helps you to reach the back teeth really easily.

Original poster
Yayayo · 23/04/2019 10:01

@Haworthia I know, I forced it too and it worked in the past but now she’s got stronger and it can get ‘violent’ Grin. She hurt herself a few times while trying to escape.

OP posts:
Stuckforthefourthtime · 23/04/2019 10:01

Agree with Elmo video, fun brushes. Sometimes we play a game where the silly toothbrush is scared of their mouth and won't go in and they have to push it back in when I make it run away.

Or failing all this, the pin down and brush. It's not really acceptable to leave teeth unbrushed for even a day at a time, let alone weeks - your child is on a fast track to a lot of painful and unnecessary dental treatment.

gamerchick · 23/04/2019 10:03

I pinned mine. If you pin them properly then they won't hurt themselves. Or get another person to wrap her up in a towel and use the screaming to your advantage.

Or you can pin her down for the dentist when he extracts her teeth.

TeacupDrama · 23/04/2019 10:09

early retired dentist here, unfortunately you do need to force her if she knows it is non-negotiable she will eventually let you, it is much easier to do her teeth from behind, large snuggly bath towel and swaddle her then brush or hold her on your lap her back to your chest if you are right handed her head on your left shoulder use your left arm across her body to hold her arms if she kicks place your right leg over her legs
do not wedge her head under your chin as if she throws her head back if could force your chin upwards then you will need a dentist as you may chip a tooth from the force of her head
having seen 4 years have 10+ teeth extracted under GA it is not pretty please make her she will eventually thank you for it ( in about 20 years) if you make her twice a day for 2 weeks it should be nailed but like anything else just don't back down it takes 2 minutes to properly brush a full set of child's teeth which is 20 at present she probably only has 8-10 teeth so about a minute should suffice it is much much easier to force a 1 year old than a 3 year old
there are several apps for toothbrushing

DizzyPhillips · 23/04/2019 10:12

I feel your pain. Exact same issue here

gamerchick · 23/04/2019 10:14

it is much easier to do her teeth from behind, large snuggly bath towel and swaddle her then brush or hold her on your lap her back to your chest if you are right handed her head on your left shoulder use your left arm across her body to hold her arms if she kicks place your right leg over her legs

That's exactly how I did it Grin

They do give in eventually, it's none negotiable unfortunately.

Original poster
Yayayo · 23/04/2019 10:31

@DizzyPhillips I hope you get some tips here.

@teacupDrama ..thank you, I’ll try that today. I thought I was being too harsh by forcing her but I’ll try your ‘technique’.

Really good advice overall so thanks everyone.

OP posts:
Lou573 · 23/04/2019 10:36

Pinned her down at that age. As above, screaming helps. I gave her a chance but if she wasn’t going to cooperate I was going to do it anyway. It’s a case of be cruel to be kind.

JellyCat1 · 23/04/2019 10:50

Another pinner downer. Just non negotiable isn't it. It passes.

KickingItSince1966 · 23/04/2019 10:58

The towel is a great idea!

I go to the gym and lift weights so i am strong enough to deal with my boys.
I restrain my 3 year old for tooth brushing. (Headlock and pin his arms down with my leg) and brush from behind.
My 5 year old needs full body cream twice a day and that’s also a full restraint job!
I so wish I didn’t have to use force but it really is for their health.

supernintendochalmers · 23/04/2019 11:03

I wrapped my DS who refused teeth brushing in a blanket and just forced him. I thought it was a bit harsh but he was starting to develop cavities. I was so worried about upsetting him, but I wish I had just made him from the get go.

ReturnofSaturn · 23/04/2019 11:07

Oh god I more less have to get my 15 month old in a headlock to brush his. I'm not even kidding. He kicks off terribly too.

RandomWok · 23/04/2019 11:10

Another former towel wrapper here. Was an absolute pain for a while but now DD happily brushes her teeth. One of those things that are none negotiable. My DN wasn't forced to brush her teeth and she's had so many fillings, some in her adult teeth. She's only 11.

PlinkPlink · 23/04/2019 11:55

DS has a chewable one. They're great!! We got ours from Tesco... it's like a rounded, double sided, silicon brush.

I found when he was teething though, getting to brush his teeth was a no-no. But he likes the brush. We gave it to him sometimes when he was teething and wanted something to gnash on and it seems to have worked.

If he starts to resist alot though I will put on the super simple song one with the phone for him.

I also agree with others in that hes fascinated by our electric toothbrush and wants to watch while we do 😂😂😂

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 23/04/2019 12:02

I used to wrap ds in a towel after his bath,straight across my knee and clean them. Lasted about a week before he realised him tantrumming and making a fuss wouldn't make a difference. Now he's a teen I long for those days🙄

Faster · 23/04/2019 12:10

He has a go in the bath himself. Then hes wrapped in a towel, sat on my knee and unceremoniously forced into having his teeth brushed. It’s none negotiable in my eyes. In the majority of cases tooth decay is avoidable and I would consider myself a piss poor parent if he needed teeth out due to lack of tooth brushing.

StaceyB92 · 23/04/2019 12:27

I took mine shopping to choose his own toothbrush. We brush them together now, I let him have a go first then I say let me check to make sure you got all the dirty bits then I brush them.

Nameusernameuser · 23/04/2019 12:29

Yep I wrap my 18 month old up and force it. He's MUCH better now than he was even a month ago.

TeacupDrama · 23/04/2019 16:25

every parent needs a way of sometimes forcing a child to do what they don't want to do because it is for their benefit it's not just cleaning teeth, sometimes you have to get tangles out of hair ( or the dreaded nits) even if combing hurts; they may get ill and need blood tests, injections, swallow nasty tasting medicine, ( while paracetamol and most antibiotics are not too bad some more unusual medicines are just horrible but still have to be taken)
we restrain kids in car seats we hold hands or grab them to prevent road running, grabbing kettles etc etc

RoseDog · 23/04/2019 16:27

I used to get my ds in a headlock to brush his teeth as a toddler, worth it though as no fillings and he is 14 now, dd who is older always just let me get on with it!