Teeth brushing - any advice?

[PunkyFunkyMummy]

My DS is 13 months old and will not allow us to brush his teeth. We've tried all sorts of things to get him to let us but he just clamps his mouth shut and gets extremely wound up. Please help, I have visions of all his teeth rotting and falling out.

I'm sure I'll be jumped on by a dentist, but here's my experience ...

I found it really hard to brush my kids teeth until they were about two tbh.
I hardly managed to get near their teeth before this point in all honesty, but I was really strict about avoiding all sugar. They had water and milk, not juice, no sweets etc.
None of mine have had any rotten teeth or fillings. (they're 7, 5, 3 and 7months)

Also, you don't want to cause stress and trauma around the issue of teeth brushing because it makes things harder later on when they're more likely to be eating sugary stuff now and again and when you really need to be diligent about teeth cleaning.

Dp used to work with adults with learning disabilities, and some of them wouldn't clean their teeth. Dentist recommended giving them a piece of cheese to eat before bed as apparently the cheese neutralised much of the acid in any food stuck in their teeth. Not as good as a proper clean but is better than nothing.

Thanks, I'm bad though because I give him juice sometimes. I think I just need to be more relaxed around this issue because Im sure hes picking up on me being tense which just makes him worse.

Maybe do the cheese thing, limit juice and completely stop having the brushing bgattle with him for a couple of weeks.

Then try again later with a new, funky toothbrush. Get DP to do it. Aim for an all new improved 'fun' toothbrushing session.

It sound so simple doens't it. If only!

Try giving your Ds His toothbrush to play with while he is in the bath, and let him watch you brush your teeth.

We've been having the same problems, I've tried the playing in bath, which worked for a while, then biting the tooth brush which was good for a while, but the tooth brush got wrecked, now (at 21 mths) I put paste on my finger stick it in his mouth and rub on teeth and then use toothbrush. DS seems to find this less traumatic and I can be sure to get at the back teeth.

I suupose one thing to bear in mind is that people used to just rub with salt, so at least rubbing abit of paste onhis teeth/gums must achieve something?!

have you tried giving him a toothbrush and then brush your own teeth in a hope he will copy?

Can't remember exactly with my older 3 now but ds3 is now 2.9yrs and it's only in the last few weeks he has allowed me to clean his teeth.

He would clamp his mouth firmly shut and run a mile from the toothbrush so I never made him do it until now.

Happily he is now very keen and does a pretty good (supervised) job of it.

Ive tried showing my DS me brushing my teeth first which he found highly amusing but still refused to let me brush his. I also tried the cheese thing last night so at least thats something.

Sorry to hijack your thread but does anyone know what age you can use electric toothbrushes from. My ds is 13mths and will happily suck on his toothbrush but as soon as I want to do anything resembling actually cleaning them it is a no go but he is really really interested in dh and my electric toothbrushes and thought that one might be worth trying. Might work for you lo as well if they are ok for children this young.

I've been wondering that too - seems a bit odd to grow up not knowing how to use a manual toothbrush properly though (for sleepovers, holidays etc).

Hi we have the same problem with 16 month DD. She will bite the toothbrush and suck water from it but the minute we try and go anywhere near her mouth she moves her head and clamps her lips shut.

somebody recommended to try brushing in a mirror. It didnt work for us but its worth giving it a go. Unfortunetly no matter how much I tell my mil or mum not to give her sweet stuff they still do. I caught my dad giving her pop yesterday and his reply was 'its sugar free' arghhh.. Im sure I have also seen brown stains on her back teeth so due to the family giving sweets I have to brush her teeth. It does mean that everynight we have a struggle to clean them and she cries.

our little girl is now two and asks to brush her teeth - a big step from teeth clamped shut and screaming at toothbrush. we would brush our own teeth in front of her, find her favourite dvd's (hi 5 & the Wiggles) with episodes where they are teeth cleaning (i think she thought if they do it, then it must be cool!) and also let her watch in the mirror. now she sits in her bath and cleans her teeth while in bath.
good luck x

a couple of things I can recommend:

let him brush your teeth (which is HORRIBLE...) while you brush his. that worked for us.

I'll probably get shot down for this.... but some nice fruity flavour toothpaste rather than the minty one might help.

if he has the co-ordination, let him do it himself and then hopefully let him finish off.

try doing it at a different time of day. e.g. if he gets stressed out about it at bath time, make it part of a different activity, when he is distracted, in his high chair, or while in his car seat or vary the time
hth

The advise we would give at the dentist I worked at would be....

Give him a toothbrush to play with while you are with him, so it doesn't seem like some thing "foriegn" when you want to brush his teeth. If/when he puts it in his mouth say something along the lines of "are you brushing your teeth, what a clever boy"

Don't make a big deal of it, just let him play with the brush for a while. Let him see you brushing your teeth & ask him to help you, this way he will see it's not just something that happens to him. At first just use a wet toothbrush, then when you feel he as made some progress put a small spot of child's toothpaste on the brush. (We don't actually need toothpaste when we clean our teeth)

Don't battle with it too much as you could do more damage (to his perception of it, not his teeth) than good. Make sure you use a baby toothbrush, as the bristles will be softer & a baby toothpaste as it will taste more pleasent for him.

Until he will let you brush, just keep a close eye on his sugar intake.

As long as he doesn't think it just happens to him or that he HAS to do it, he will come around to the idea. Hopefully then you will have the problem I have, DD won't stop asking to brush her teeth! Everytime she uses the big toilet (and that's alot) she asks to brush her teeth!

Always have a seperate toothbrush to brush his teeth to the one he plays with. The play one will get worn out & won't do a good job when brushing. Then you can pretend that there are tweenies or fimbles stuck in his teeth (or his other favourite toys) that need to get out. Make it fun & it won't seem like a chore for him.

GOOD LUCK!

Electric toothbrushes won't clean unless they are being used properly. Just having them in the mouth won't work. It really is best to make sure a child will let you brush or can brush with a manual first. They can be used from a young age tho, with your supervision until you fell they are responsible enough to use them by themselves.

Fruity toothpaste is fine, much better than mint as a child won't like this taste.

Buy 2 toothbrushes, let them play with 1 & use the other to brush when possible. Ever tried "dream feeding?" What about dream brushing? N water, no paste just gently brush around as this will remove any plaque.

2 toothbrushes definately.

We also concentrate on the noise the brushing makes, by the time youve said 'Ooo listen to that' and theyve thought about it youve done half of it.

We also make up brushing songs, all very silly but keeps it fun and seems to work.