Toddler teethe cleaning.

[tireesix]

DD2 is nearly 2 and brushing her teeth is a nightmare.DH can't stand to bee in the same room when it is happening, DD2 puts up a real fight and I am close to tears. I know a lot of people say that properly cleaning a toddlers teeth isn't that necessary but all my family have bad teeth and bad teeth start real young in my family (she is already having issues), aside from sedating her I have no idea what to do. I have tried the calm approach, the fun way, everything and nothing works.

I just do not know what to do anymore.

Any ideas would be great!!!!!!

:

[lovbeingamommy]

I have an almost two yr. old too and he was not happy about havin his teeth brushed either. However, one day when he saw daddy brushing his teeth at the same time everything changed. Now he's completely happy and giggles the whole time I'm brushing his teeth. Of course, my husband has to be standing right next to him brushing his and making all kinds of silly mouth noises too. Hope this helps a little

[plantmama]

We went through a stage with ds where we forced it. it is not at all what I want to do (ofcourse!) but to me it is one of those things like taking important medicine/ remedy. He was very anemic when he was little so we had to force iron sups down too Poor guy. But it was a short stage once he realized resistence was not going to make us stop trying. I would always explain that is was necessary and not make a big deal about it. Good luck!

[newbymom05]

IMO and E brushing toddler teeth IS important!!! If I had only disregarded my idiot former pedi's advice and taken DS to the dentist sooner, I think we would have had less decay. He was all "Oh, don't worry, he's only 8 mo." Yeah, well he was old enough to get a cavity! :

Anyway, we have fought the no-brushing fight too. For us what worked was getting a battery powered toothbrush at the grocery or drug store. They have all kinds of characters--tv and not. We let DS pick out the one he wants and it made a huge difference than when we used the manual brush. They wear out quickly which makes me feel guilty but OTOH it renews his interest to regularly get a new one.

Also, what kind of cleaner are you using? We use Spry infant gel w/ xylitol and he loves the stuff. He'll suck it straight out of the bottle if we don't stop him!

We also tell him a special ongoing story that he only gets to hear when we brush his teeth. We just make it up as we go along based on his current interests.

After awhile DS just got used to the routine, and now it's no big deal. G/L and HTH!

[tireesix]

At the moment we use an infant toothpaste, she does like it and she will suck it off a toothbrush but if its in my hand its a big no no......... I had been thinking about maybe letting the children pick out electric ones.... I will have a look into that I think!!!!!

[rumi]

stories, songs, dances, personifying the bugs hiding out btw the teeth ... gotta do it all and more...dont' forget to brush the imaginary friend