Brushing teeth - 1yr old

[Sparrowlegs248]

Any tips on how to do this successfully? Just managed to do a few brushes top and bottom, but it doesn't feel enough, and I don't usually manage as much as we did today.

I do sing 'this is how we brush our teeth....' whilst mimicking doing mine, and this helps. But usually manage two or three brushes before he starts objecting. I don't want to try and force it obviously.......

Non negotiable here too but I do try (with mixed success!) not to let it become a big screaming battle.

You tube is good- a tooth brushing song or anything engaging really if they focus on that they will often 'let' you brush.

I have 3 dc - no problems at all brushing teeth with 2 of them, but had no choice with 3rd one, but to hold screaming child and brush his teeth! He's 9 now, great teeth and no lasting effects!

One tip I got given for ds, lay them over your lap facing upward so their head rests back on the sofa, natural reaction is to open their mouth. Unfortunately did not work with my ds, only bribery and restraining worked!

Holding them down to brush their teeth or hold them down at the dentist to have fillings/extractions. Take your choice

I've tried lots and lots of things and only now at 2.8 do i feel like we are getting a good 2 min brush every time.

I bought DD a Disney electric toothbrush which plays a tune after each minute so she knows I do 2 mins and then she can have a turn.

Lots of silly games have helped too - best ones have been that Santa is watching and reporting back to his elves and currently I pretend that I'm Dr. Elephant the dentist (don't know if you have seen that episode of Peppa Pig!) and DD is Peppa - it seems to work and she'll open her mouth wide for me now. Sure it won't last though!

I have a nineteen month old that I sing like a loon to - glad to know this is a recognised technique.
I looking forward to the day when he realises I can't carry a tune in a bucket and brushes his own teeth.

Wrap in a towel, lay down and brush.

My Ds had to have 4 teeth out before he was 4, honestly general anaesthetics and teeth removal is a horrible thing and something to be avoided if at all possible.

My dd2 was a very reluctant tooth brusher, we did the towel wrap and get on with it when she was at her worst, she has lovely teeth now and is the most conscientious of tooth brushers, it hasn't put her off at all.

lapsed with respect that is terrible advice. Have you ever seen a small child with rotten milk teeth? It's horrifying and they can't eat properly which causes nutritional issues. Plus gum disease which defray any foundation for healthy adult teeth. Plus if you teach a child that baby teeth dont matter, how are they going to learnt the techniques to kee their adult teeth healthy. Please persist OP and, sadly, force may be necessary.

^^ pebbles I know you weren't talking to me but yes I have seen a child with rotten milk teeth- it was vile and the poor kid had to have some of the stumps extracted in the end. He was 'lucky' in that it doesn't (so far) seem to have affected the adult teeth and now several years later they all appear healthy enough but there was a good 5 years where he had a mouth that was just rotting. It isn't nice or fair on the child - until they are actually old enough to understand the consequences one way or another we have to make them brush.