Toddler teeth cleaning

[Gobolino80]

Any tips on cleaning my 15 month old DGS's teeth? He won't entertain the idea and his parents have tried everything they can think of. How much should you worry at this age if they're milk teeth?

You just have to hold them down and do it twice a day. Teeth brushing should be compulsory.

Non-negotiable. Pin him down or wrap him in a towel.

The hey duggee tooth brushing song sometimes works for them. Otherwise pin them down

I agree with it being a non negotiable.

But have they tried giving him a second brush to either do his with, or do a teddy's, or do his parents' teeth at the same time?

@DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace that's a good one! I'll suggest that.
They've been pinning him down but he thrashes his head around and there was bleeding gums tonight, surely that's traumatic for him?!

There is a blippi tooth brush song that my kids like.

Non-negotiable. At that age mine understood "mummy and daddy pin you down to do it which you don't like, or mummy will read a story while daddy brushes your teeth."

Just shut ourselves in the bedroom with him until he accepted it was happening and no way out of it. You have to play the long game.

Much more traumatic to have a general anaesthetic to have teeth removed .

Too often have seen small children having multiple extractions because people are frightened of having a non negotiable.

If all distractions, having own toothbrush alongside , brushing teddies teeth , hey Duggie videos etc fail ….Put child on your lap , facing a mirror (if you can ) as less intimidating than being face to face . If necessary restrain arms and legs and go for it. Eventually they realise it’s a non negotiable and it gets easier.

Thank you @bakewellbride, that worked once! I'll suggest the Hey Duggee one though that pp mentioned.

Non negotiable. Wrap in a towel and pin down.

Strawberry toothpaste

I’m a pretty lax parent but I’m on team non-negotiable for teeth brushing. Like pp, we used to wrap DD1 in a towel. If needs be, husband would hold head enough to avoid thrashing and hurting herself whilst I got on with the brushing. Not going to lie, it felt fucking shit for everyone, but as someone else pointed out, so would a a GA for extractions.

I was going to suggest the opposite 😆 - my DD hated the strawberry, but loved the minty one that aquafresh (I think) do.

But definitely try a different toothpaste.

I told my kids they'd get trees growing out of their teeth and they'd look like cave monsters if they didn't brush their teeth.