I cannot clean my baby’s teeth

[teethnightmare]

He was fine chewing on a toothbrush with a smear of paste, but clamps his mouth shut whenever I tried to do it. I was worried that his teeth weren’t getting brushed properly and so a friend recommended an electric toothbrush for babies which I tried this morning. He absolutely hated it, started crying hysterically and now won’t even chew his normal toothbrush or put it in his mouth. He currently has four teeth. What am I meant to do?

You can buy things to put over your finger to scrub them, sing to him, brush yours at the same time (or get Daddy to) etc. Etc.
With one of mine I just had to gently nudge their mouth open with the back of the brush. Baby didn't like it but it got done.

How old is he?
Make it into a game, let him chew the brush so he gets familiar with it. Don’t use the one that made him cry, if it turns into a battle he will never let you do it.
Let him brush your teeth with a big ‘cheese’ for the front ones and a ‘big ahhhh’ for opening wide and doing the back ones then just say ‘now mummy do yours, big cheese’ and get him to do a big smile. It doesn’t matter if you don’t manage to even do them properly for a week or two, you just have to get him familiar and used to having the brush in his mouth and the actions and make it a fun game.

Try the fun YouTube toddler brushing videos. Make it fun, don't force anything but go slowly. My 3 year old now lets me brush quite well.

Give him a brush also.

Let him chew on a flannel in the bath for now, then work up to using one of those flannel mitt things on your finger to give them a good rub. After that you can look into him having a toothbrush to hold and chew while you do the flannel-cleaning and then eventually he has a turn with the brush and so do you. Once they are about 2 you can start doing games like singing songs or looking for animals or colours or germs in his mouth.

Don't feed him sugary things or anything sticky (raisins, peanut butter) and only water or milk to drink.

If he only has 4 teeth he shouldn't have a huge amount of sugar in his diet so it's OK if you're not brushing them thoroughly, it's more about creating a positive association and a routine where it's the normal thing to do. So I'd go back to something he's happy to do even though that means a backwards step.

I think mine would have been scared of an electric toothbrush too!

Honestly? My girl huff's and puffs and wriggles but I just brush and get it over with in a minute, then it's over and done with and she carries on like nothing happened. She has 4 teeth too. I think it's better to just get them done and brushed then prolonge it and cause more stress. Gotta look after them little teeth even if they don't like it

We swapped from a “normal” small baby toothbrush to one you put over your finger and that has helped a bit (it’s still a bit of a battle though!)

Sounds obvious but does he watch you do yours?

Let him watch you brush your teeth then do his turn.

Or do something he finds funny (peek a boo?) and start brushing when he’s laughing. Do a funny sound when brushing to keep him onside.

I understand you don’t want it to be a traumatic event but I have had to just brush teeth through little one crying a few times. Teeth brushing to me is non-negotiable, it’s just got to be done.

(A bit like putting baby’s car seat seatbelt on. If they kicked up a fuss you’d try and distract, make it fun etc but you wouldn’t let them get away without buckling them in! Sometimes you just have to get it done).

Forcing them to brush isn’t cruel. Them having a dental clearance under GA at the age of 6 IS cruel.
Try swaddling in a towel after bath and then like others say, be upbeat as you do it and you’ll be done in 30 seconds. Eventually they learn.

Far from perfect but I have found:

• lying LO with his head on my lap and body on the floor gives me better access and view of his mouth
• pretending to brush my teeth, his dad's teeth, the sink, bath etc and then LO teeth
• asking if there is a dog, dinosaur in his mouth and then going in with the toothbrush and making sounds
• if the toothbrush is in His mouth and he has clamped down I will just move the toothbrush round and hope for the best

Like I said I am not perfect and still working on finding the best way. I have decided toothbrushing along with sunscreen and manners are going to be non- negotiable

Let him brush your teeth with a big ‘cheese’ for the front ones and a ‘big ahhhh’ for opening wide and doing the back ones then just say ‘now mummy do yours, big cheese’ and get him to do a big smile.

I don’t think he’d understand if I tried to do this (he’s only 10.5 months).

I wish I hadn’t tried the stupid electric brush - at least he was enjoying chewing on a brush before, which was something!

Our daughter absolutely hated her teeth being brushed until we found the Hey Duggee tooth brushing song on YouTube! Give it a go!

Going to disagree with others here, forcing them to brush IS cruel. I would try a silicon brush that they chew - I forget the name of it, but your baby can bite it and chew it and it won't hurt or be uncomfortable I will look for a link. Don't force your baby though, he was obviously freaked out by the electric brush, so give it a day or two then try again with a new brush and make it a fun game with lots of praise.

Try one like this, there's a similar one called Brush Baby. Better than the over finger ones IMO as it will hurt your finger if they bite it.
www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/gs/60021493/natural-beauty/mother-baby/baby-skincare-toiletries/

Is it worth trying a different toothpaste? There’s a good berry one from Sainsbury’s.

Since he's been scared by the other brush I would just leave it for a week or two and then go back to the first one, he'll have forgotten about it by then.

Relax.

Have a couple of days off to forget the electric toothbrush and try again.

Both of mine just used to cry and wriggle. I held them down and used the crying to my advantage as their mouths were open. Sounds awful but by 2.5ish they let me brush without all the dramas and they're not scarred by it.

Can you let him chew a grown up one? Just put a bit of toothpaste on your finger and rub it on for now?

I lay my 13 month old on my lap and usually make ridiculous sounds to get him to smile/laugh, then I manically brush as fast as I can. If his dad is around then he’ll knock random objects on the wall which results in my toddler gawping at his dad with his mouth open

Sometimes he kicks off and cries but I get it done quickly and he’s fine.

I will second the hey duggee toothbrushing badge, DS has the book and we played the song through a speaker when he went through that phase, there is also the episode on I player. DS watches very little TV but I am very thankful for that dog!