How often do you brush teeth?

[JordanKX]

I'm curious about how much a toddler needs their teeth brushed. Seems logical that as much as I'd brush my teeth, him too. DS is almost 21 months. He loves the toothbrush but obviously doesn't understand brushing.

If I don't stay up on him, he gets Super Bad Breath.

So would I.

Cause he has teeth and tongue and all that mouth stuff, and they haven't been brushed. I get that. I feel like a bad momma for asking, but how often do you brush your kids teeth? Every day, just like you?

and... HOW do you do that? (logistically speaking... really, how do you Make Them Brush? Do you do it yourself - do they Allow you to brush their teeth? DS would almost require me to hold him down, the way I do with cutting fingernails. )

[belltree]

I brush once a day, he brushes the other day. I night nurse my 19month old, and I think brushing is important, so I do it, even if he cries a little. There are phases, when he sits on my lap and readily opens his mouth to brush teeth, tongue and gargle. Other times, we have phases, where he's crying. I explain to him, it is necessary and do it as quickly and thoroughly as I can. An electric toothbrush helps. He brushes himself in the mornings.

Diaper changes have  caused my child to cry as well, and I still believe they are necessary from an hygienic and healthy point of view.

[lovepickles]

Twice a day for my 17 month old. I wet the toothbrush and let her do it after she finishes breakfast. She chews on it and jerks it back and forth. I'm sure it knocks the major debris off but it isn't the best job.

Then after her nightly bath. We let her brush on her own but after she is done I get in there and do the front and back of her upper and lower teeth and over her gums in the back where her molars are coming in. Usually her dad holds her up in front of the mirror and I brush quickly. She fusses a bit but we go quick. I find that if she is overly tired it is worse ... but that is the case with almost anything toddler related. It is getting easier, though.

You could take your child to a dentist for first hand brushing advice but the most important is to have patience but get in there every day to avoid potentially traumatic dental work down the road. Perhaps if you are getting a late start you could try showing your child some (pre-screened) YouTube videos of other children brushing their teeth.

But twice a day was what my dentist said to do. We never skip at night even if we had a busy time. Clean teeth are very important.

[ednkirstin]

I'd brush them at least once a day and aim for twice.  I think it's good to let them try it sometimes, but at this age they really need you to do the job for them.  Have fun!

[kawa kamuri]

My 19mo has her teeth brushed twice a day. She also recently had her second dental appointment. 

She's spent her life on my hip watching me brush and after that watching her siblings brush. She'll usually stand on a stool at the sink and happily let me brush her teeth and, in the rare case where she's grumpy, I'll brush her teeth wherever she is. Some of my kids have been adamant about doing it themselves in which case I have two toothbrushes - the toddler has theirs and I have mine and we take turns brushing their teeth. In my house there's no excuse for bad oral hygiene - everyone brushes.  

Edited by kawa kamuri - 6/3/11 at 11:12am

[dejagerw]

We brush 3x a day. DS is 2.5. He first "brushes" with a bit on xylitol sprinkled on his brush. Then I brush with a small bit of regular toothpaste (he can spit). We do this morning, before nap and before bed. He still nurses a ton and I know how important it is to get all the food bits off their teeth if they are nursing to sleep (which he is).

[MommaBirdie]

I don't allow my LOs to brush more than three times a day.
We do it after Breakfast, Lunch, and part of bedtime routine.

I floss their teeth first and let them floss the rest (at night).
They brush their own teeth, except at night when I brush their teeth first and then they brush them.