How do you get your 16 month old to do their teeth?

[LibrasBiscuitsOfFortune]

At the moment we have to pin him down (well swaddle him with a towel) and then try and make him laugh to open his mouth so we can very quickly clean his teeth (which then turns to tears). Not an ideal situation I am sure you would all agree. We have tried brushing our teeth at the same time, we have tried giving him the brush to do it himself, I read on here once that a poster uses the cat as a demonstration tool but we don't have a cat.

So. Please give your sage advice on how to make a very reluctant 16month old want his teeth to be brushed....

thanks.

We have the same problem. I just tend to give her the tooth brush and let her chew it a bit herself and then try to grab it and give her a bit of a brush. Not exactly very effective.

For a while we used to have 2 brushes, one for her to hold and then one for us to quickly stick in there when she opened her mouth. She's got wise to this now though.

I'm just hoping that in a few months time we'll be able to explain to her/take her out to choose her own toothbrush etc, and that her teeth won't have all turned black and fallen out by then.

Exactly the same prob here...my DS is 2 and its a running battle every night. If my boyfriend is over he holds him tight and places hand on forehead which helps keep mouth open. Means we normally get one decent brush a week!

Various ruses - toothbrushing songs; stories about animals whose teeth fall out (like this), brush a favourite toy's "teeth" first, and general bribery...

habbibu...teddys teeth are going to have a brushing tonight and that book is on the christmas list!

ask him to do a big RAH! like a dinosaur then get in there quick smart and brush as fast as your hand can cope with!
ask for the biggest CHEESE! in the world and if you're lucky you might get a quick brush on the front ones.
my smallest ds fine with cleaning teeth but refuses point blank to let dentist look at them so we've had 3 fruitless trips to dentist with him!

When DS was younger he used to like me peering into his mouth and "having a look to see what he'd eaten all day".

Whilst listing everything I knew he'd eaten I'd be brushing away and he didn't mind.

I sit on the loo and DD backs into my knees tips her head back and I ask her to sing as loud as she can. result is an open mouth and a get a quick brush in and about then hand her the brush to finish the job off. It is the way the dentist suggested as you can see all their teeth as he does.

Thank you for all your suggestions I think some of them will be tucked away for when he is a little older.

I bought a toothbrush that sings 'Bare Necessities' through her skull, believe it nor not. After months of struggling she nows lies still like a deer caught in headlights and complains when it's over.

tbf now I want a toothbrush that sings the 'Bare Necessities'!

All children like copying adults and feeling grown up. DSs learned by watching and copying me. Stood at the bathroom sink together with me they just did what Daddy did.