dd fights when I brush her teeth

[K8eee]

She's only 13 months, but can be a right little bugger when it comes to brushing her teeth. She's got 4 top front ones and her 2 bottom front ones. I'm just worried that if I don't do it properly, they'll need to come out

You are me. I let her 'do it herself' for a bit, which basically means her chewing the brush for a bit. Then I try and have a go but it's almost impossible. I can normally have a quick go on the bittom but she won't let me anywhere near the top. I hate that it's such a battle but you can't not, can you. I've tried various positions and distracting but nothing works. So invari sky results in pinning her down which I hate to do and it's still a half-arsed job anyway. So I'm after good tips too!

Invariably results

We had similar issues with my son. My sister suggested giving him his own toothbrush. It did help. We still have two toothbrushes and he's 4 now.

so does mine and she's nearly 3. As she's getting older, I show her peppa pig doing her teeth in her book - or get her to pretend doing it to dolly etc. or you do it with her. Its difficult - I have resorted to the pinning down approach but I've not liked it and neither has dd - especially if she has sensitive gums with teething. But they are baby teeth - they will come out at some point!

Wrapping in a towel and just getting on with it was the only way with ds for ages, he is a lot better now he is older.

It's true that they are baby teeth, so will come out, but it's still important to keep them clean - cavities can be horrible.

Similar age DS here, and similar problems. He is a great imitator at the moment and so we tried demonstrating what he should be doing (DP stands there brushing his own teeth). Has improved things (mildly). Only seem to find the enthusiasm for that particular battle once a day - before bed - though. Oh, and today he tried to brush my teeth!

All children do this.
Yes to own toothbrush, mine have a mirror to look in as well.
I have also pinned them down many times as well.
Just keep on doing it, they gt the idea in the end.

My 12 month old screams when I try to clean her teeth... But at least her mouth is open and I can get to them then! She is happy to chew on the brush herself, but doesn't like the brushing!

Don't worry too much about it. As long as she isn't eating sweets, or worse drinking fruit juice all day, she'll be fine. Give her teeth as much of a brush as you can, and let her chew on the toothbrush.

I've never heard of kids losing their teeth as toddlers cause of not brushing properly. At that age, it's more about about establishing a routine.

I work in a NHS dentist and can totally back up this article:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2988978/How-fruit-juices-rot-toddler-s-teeth-1-200-twos-hospital-pulled-out.html

Do yours at the same time and let her watch you while she's waving her own brush around, so she can feel like she's being grown-up, and let her brush yours if she wants (if you can bear to) and make it a game. Have you tried different flavours of toothpaste? 2yo DD positively scampers upstairs to use her "pirate toothpaste". It is blue and fruity and yummy.

But yes failing that pin her down/wrap her in a towel. It's non-negotiable and you need to get her used to having her teeth brushed before the back ones come through...

I never give her fruit juice just water or milk. she has the odd little bit of chocolate like chocolate buttons, but I don't make a habit of it, just a treat every once in a while. I'm careful with ketchup and acidic stuff in general but I know they can't be sheltered all their lives, it's just I saw a programme a couple of months ago and this poor young girl who couldn't of been any older than 6 had 8 milk teeth taken out all at once as her mother stupidly gave her a high sugar diet her top teeth are slightly discoloured but I'm regimented with brushing them twice a day

Unfortunately my ds had to have 4 teeth removed, when he was 3. He has hypoplastic teeth, with little enamel at the front and no enamel on the back teeth. He also has reflux, and many long courses of antibiotics from birth. This had such an awful effect on his back teeth that they just crumbled away.

I know of several children at preschool who have very bad teeth, it is not necessarily going to be due to a lack of brushing, but this will be important.

My dd1 has not great teeth, due to also having reflux, but also for years she wasn't brushing them well enough, and I didn't realise, dd2 is a great brusher, but my dentist said that children up to 7, sometimes older, should have their teeth brushed. He also recommends regular use of disclosing tablets to help with good technique.

Have you tried a baby brush?

Until mine was about one, she let me brush with a piece of gauze wrapped around my finger. Now she bites damn hard though And we're back to square one...

My dentist, while giving the lecture about the harms of fruit juices, said it's fine if a young child just chews the brush, so don't worry too much.
We make sure our DDs "brush" twice a day and intervene occasionally (i.e. use force and brush the teeth ourselves when they've done to brief a job).
At 13 months I think that generally involved wrapping DD in a towel (like you would an unwilling cat at the vet )