Start Brushing - And Make it Fun! - Page 6

[barleyhill]

Just My 2 Cents

I just saw this, and though I didn't have time to read all the replies, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in since we had the same problem with my dd and we're doing pretty well now. Sometimes my dd even reminds me to brush her teeth now! Every kid is different, but what worked for me with both the teeth brushing and nail clipping is to let her brush my teeth (prepare to be gagged and impaled) while I'm doing hers. When she didn't like that anymore I let her brush her doll's teeth or a doggie or whatever for as long as she wanted. If she felt rushed at all she wouldn't let me do my job, but doing it simultaneously worked best- brushing while she brushed. It seemed to distract her and she felt like she was mommying too. GOOD LUCK!!
Hugs,
Barleyhill

[mammastar]

When and how to start cleaning teeth?

Dd is 14 mos and has I don't know how many teeth, including some molars. I know I've read here and there that you should start cleaning their gums even before they have teeth...but I never did! And now I suspect I should brush her teeth...but I never have! I'm feeling really guilty -- although my mom just said, 'well I never brushed yours when you were a baby and you never got cavities.' Frankly, I'm nervous and I don't know what exactly I should be doing, what I should use, if it's really necessary, etc. Any insights?

[PumpkinSeeds]

Oh Hun! Start brushing those teeth! You kind of have to start even before they get teeth so they get used to you cleaning in their mouth.

[mammastar]

Oh dear, I was hoping you'd say baby tooth-care was some kind of an urban legend! This is really embarrassing (I'm a good mommy, honest)...

So what do I DO, exactly? And with what? I guess full sedation isn't an option, right? (For her or me!).

[Mallory]

Start by just letting her have a toothbrush to chew on, and letting her see you brush your teeth. So often this is something we do after they go to bed, and we miss that urge to do what mommy does, because they don't see us very often. I wouldn't worry about you actually doing anything for a while. Let her get used to it being something fun first. I usually start actually brushing thier teeth around 1 1/2 or 2 and I only do it once a day. So my three year old I get to finish his brushing everynight, in the morning he does it all himself. And my 18 month old, I have just started asking if I can finish and he usually lets me (but we also get that want to do what brother does urge).

[mammastar]

That's really hepful, Mallory, thanks! It doesn't sound so intimidating the way you describe it. And Starbaby does love to mimic what we do. Right now she's into 'hairbrushing', with anything brush-like she can find, like the back brush on the side of the tub, LOL. At least she hasn't discovered the toilet brush yet! I wonder if she'll be confused when I show her a brush that goes in her mouth instead of on her head? No wait, everything goes in her mouth anyway...

Thanks again!

Do you use toothpaste for a baby? I never used it myself as a child because it made me gag: didn't get cavities either.

[NewMa]

I couldn't find that thread, Smilemomma.

I am at a loss as to how I am going to start brushing dd's teeth. She's 11 months old, has two already and four more that are about to burst through any minute now. But her mouth is a very, very private place right now (probably because of teething pain) and, for a long time, the only way I knew she had her 2 teeth was because I snuck my finger in to feel them when she was soundly asleep.

There is no way she is going to let me get in with a cloth to wipe them. And I have heard the advice to give her a tooth brush to play with, but I highly doubt that she is going to do anything with it that will come close to cleaning along her gumline. I don't really know what to do and I am starting to get worried, particularly since she can't seem to sleep without a boob in her mouth.

[BusyMommy]

Oh we are awful at this. Ds likes to brush his teeth. It's simply our problem, not his.

Our dr. recommended Weleda children's toothpaste as it has NO fluoride in it. Ds likes to use a "spinny" brush b/c it makes it more fun. It's the kind w/batteries that vibrates. I model spitting after each wash and he really likes that part, too!

[pioneermama]

creative idea...

Hi Mamastar, my daughter is almost 15 months and though we've been brushing since she was 3 months, she never really did like the toothbrush much at all. UNTIL.... my husband bought us 2 Sonicares with the switchable heads... my daughter loves to brush her teeth now! It's fun and about the same time each night (lest we forget) she makes the "brrrrrrr" noise of the toothbrush to remind us. Just an idea to make it fun!

Oh, Smilemama, by the way, I don't know if you remember my post a while back about being nervous about capping my daughters teeth - well, we had her two front teeth capped after an injection of ketamine and it was a breeze... so much worry and there she was hours later, bouncing around happily like she usually does. We used arnica, hypericum and phosphorous (this one afterwards) and I do think it helped immensely. Just wanted to let you know.

[RasJane]

There must be a better way

Please Help!
I am just so lost as to what to do about brushing my 4 yo ds teeth. I feel like I have tried everything. He has his fave toothpaste, a Buzz Lightyear toothbrush, I have tried bribes, deals, stickers, you name it. Dad even talked about how much the cavities he had hurt. We read berenstein bears. ARGHH
I start in a positive manner and sometimes things even seem they might go okay. It ends with me strattling him, using my feet to hold down his arms and doing my best to get as much of his teeth as I can. I have suffered bruises from being kicked, bit fingers, we always end so frustrated if not in tears.
I hate to even admit this because it makes me feel like the worst mother. I work so hard to respect him and follow my heart to determine the best way to parent. But I feel I cannot let him learn the hard way on this. His teeth are to important.
I need any advice I can get.
TIA

[mamabuttercup]

I hear YA!

I battle with my 2 year old. He is getting better....we just stick to it and are firm with him. We tried everything too. So, I guess I am offering support.
We tell him we do this every night and we can work together and do it the nice way, or do it the not so nice way Sometimes you just have to show no emotion, which dh is much better than me, and I end up leaving and he takes over (I need to cool down)
Good luck to you and don't give in! I know so many AP parents that don't force the tooth brushing and their toddlers have cavities and fillings!!! I am 27 and not a cavity so I can't imagine.
Good Luck
peace mamabc

[simonee]

bump

[simonee]

FYI ladies,
I bumped a thread called something like "how does an AP mom brush a very unwilling 2-year old's teeth?" You should see it right on the topics page. It has loads of great ideas including playing crocodile hunter


Edited to inlude link brushing

[kimmysue2]

They have baby tooth paste on the market. This is designed knowing babies likes to eat whats in their mouths.

I would still go to the dentist. Most if not all will work out a payment plan for you. You can even quailify for state help but you would have to check that out for your area.
When teeth go bad they go fast. My husband is missing quite a few. There was no way to save them, they had to be pulled.
I understand about money being an issue.

My 2 cents.

[kimmysue2]

I am unsure exactly what different brands of tooth paste with flouride for children are out there. I am sure any dentist you call would recomment a brand for your son's age group.

I do not like ingesting (in the water) flouride but I do use tooth paste with in. Its brushed on and washed off. I used a tiny amount of my tooth paste on my sons tooth brush. Then wipe his teeth.

[simonee]

The toothpaste plan sound real good. Use just a very tiny bit of toothpaste (we use the amount you would put on an eyeshadow brush if you were just going for a very subtle spot in the corner or something, so you hardly touch the bristles to the paste), and if you want wipe it off with a cloth.

How big are the chips? Most kids lose teeny parts of their baby teeth, esp the ones in the front. They come in sharp as a razor, and just as thin. So it's actually normal that small parts wear off. In my own dd it looked like chipping for a few months, and then I realized that her teeth were nice and smooth at the bottom and not quite as lethal on my nipples anymore

The white spots may be demineralization ~ the first but VERY reversible step toward decay. Do a search in the Dental Archives (top of the dental main page), you'll find some info there. I don't know about hte yellow stains and iron ~ if they brush off, it's probably plaque, which means you have to just brush and brush

10 months and 25 pounds?? You got yourself a big guy, mama! Did you name him Shaquille?

[simonee]

For the fluoride thing, I don't know how often.... He's very young, I'd probably start with every other day and then slowly "graduate" to twice a day by the time he has all his teeth, say around his 2nd b'day.

Oh and duh, only now I see your sig. He already has a big guy name

[bobo dioulasso]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking on this thread for awhile because my dd is 11 months, she has 8 teeth now, and despite that my pediatrician isn't that worried about her dental care and that neither dh or I have ever had cavities in our lives, I am getting paranoid about the whole dental hygiene thing, and have been concerned because her gums are getting a little red looking... it could be just teething, but it's all over her gums, so I am wondering if this is caused by lack of brushing.

At 8 months, I bought her a baby toothbrush and tried brushing a little. To be honest (I sound like a terrible mom, I know) sometimes I would just forget, as she was barely eating any solids at that point and I've heard that breast milk (despite what I've been reading here...) has antibacterial properties, unlike formula, so that as long as they swallow it (which she does), it can actually flush away bacteria despite the sugars in it. That's also why I've been a little lax now about brushing her teeth... she hates being invaded in any way like that, and I do really have to either force my way in, or just make it a game, brush my teeth and let her copy it. She likes that, but obviously, she is mostly just biting the toothbrush hairs, even when she manages to do a few strokes! Even when I do it, it's not a very good job, as she doesn't really let me get in there (and she is getting pre molars now so that's an issue).

I am scared by all Smilemomma's dental hygiene nightmare stories, but grateful for the input!

My question: has anyone else heard about whether breast milk has antibacterial effects on teeth? Does it sort of count as "rinsing" food from the teeth and helping to disinfect them or does it actually contribute to tooth decay?

I have thought of the essential oils thing... just letting her chew on a rag soaked with water and a little thyme oil or something (she loves to chew on wet rags!). Maybe that will be the best solution for now.

I've seen these little Gerber finger tooth brush kits. They look interesting. They have gum massage tips, too. It's like a thimble thing and it's flexible.

However regarding the tooth paste safety issue, in my opinion based on a lot of research and being a worker in the natural health industry, the answer is a big, fat NO!!!! I personally think children should not even have flouridated toothpaste and water, and I think it's a crime that "pediatric" baby drinking water sold now has flouride in it... flouride is the second most toxic mineral in the earth's crust next to arsenic, and much flouride comes from a phosphate compound extracted from chemical fertilizer runoff. I may get into hot water with the dentists here for saying this, and I don't mean to - every parent needs to do their own reseach and make their own choices, but at the VERY least, DON'T give your baby of "swallowing toothpaste" age, flouride toothpaste. Even most dentists I've visited, and dental propaganda materials, advertise that the most important aspect of dental hygiene is good brushing and flossing habits and limiting sugar intake, not flouridated toothpaste. What you eat and drink has tremendous impact on your dental health. Soda for example leaches calcium from the bones and teeth and therefore should be avoided. Also certain foods like cheddar cheese and apples help to clean and fortify the teeth, at least according to things I have read at dentists' offices in the past. Really it's not so much what you put on your teeth that matters but what you put in your body, and what you take OFF your teeth when you clean them. Correct me Smilemomma if I'm wrong.

[kimmysue2]

"children should not even have flouridated toothpaste and water"