[La Sombra]

Hi there, I'm hoping someone out there has some advice on how to get my daughter to cooperate with toothbrushing. Every night it's a fight! We were a little lax in starting with the toothbrushing--we started at like, I don't know, 6 or so months after a couple of teeth had appeared. We wouldn't remember to do it every night. And for a while, I even gave her the toothbrush to do it herself so she's learn and, mostly, so she'd stay happy! But now she's 19 months and has a mouthful of teeth and I've been worried that we need to be more diligent so I have been sure to do it every night and I try get in there myself since she really doesn't do much good when she does it herself!

We usually do it when we're in the bath together in the evening. I made up a special toothbrushing song, too, when we first started and she already knows the words to it. She knows that that last words are "...before it's time to say 'goodnight.'" and she will say the last word herself, and then I shout, "All done!" I thought it might help if she knew, you know, that the process had an end and she could see when it would be over.

But, no. She cries, wriggles and presses her mouth shut. I'll poke the toothbrush gently in there for a second and then she freaks out. Often the only way I can do it is WHEN she cries--it's the only time she'll open her mouth! Of course then she just cries more and wriggles away. We do manage every night to get it done, but it's not a very pleasant experience and I don't want to scar her from it. Yet I worry about what will happen to her teeth if I don't insist on careful nightly brushing. I taught preschool in a country where early dental care was not thought crucial (this wasn't a poor country, btw--some parent's there just didn't think that it was very important to take care of their children's "baby" teeth.) and I saw many children with teeth absolutely rotting out of their heads. I don't want this to be my daughter! So what more can I do to make toothbrushing a more pleasant, less dreaded experience? Or will she just grow out of it...someday!

 

[bluets]

we started a bedtime routine: pee-pee, pjs and brush teeth, then we get to read a few books and then (the best of all for ds) we can nurse. nursing cannot happen until he's done the big 3. stories are up to him.

what really helped was a picture on the door showing the different steps of our bedtime routine. at first, he liked the clipart but then he really really liked the steps where i had found pictures of him to use so if i were to do it all over again, i'd try to get pictures of him doing the various things for the bedtime (or morning) routine.

 

[eqleslie]

He hated brushing, but he has some major teeth problems so I make him brush, like it or not. He did the same thing, squeezing mouth shut and such. I tried holding his nose so he would open up but it really wasn't effective. Finally he would cry and I could do it. Then he got bigger and I started having to hold him down. This sounds horrible and cruel, but his teeth are BAD and not brushing will only make it worse so here goes...

I would sit of the floor with my legs in a V in front of me. I would put ds on his back with his head at my crotch and put my legs over his arms. This made him cry and fight, but at least his mouth was open. (PS I did not use toothpaste for him to choke on while doing this) After about a year or a little more he will let me brush with a lot of coaxing, but if it gets bad I can just threaten to do it on the floor if he won't open his mouth.

I am only telling you this so that you won't feel alone in your toothbrushing battles. For my ds, it was worth it. His teeth are still really bad, but not much worse after about a year. We are facing GA in the spring if I can keep my nerve up about it...

Good luck to you mama.

 

[rabbitmum]

I have no advice that you haven't thought of yourself. We're having big problems getting our youngest's teeth brushed too. Our latest try, an electric toothbrush, didn't do it for us either. Subbing and hoping somebody comes along with something we haven't tried!

 

[AugustLia23]

We had problems similar to yours with our first ds, and did like one of the above PP's and held him down. This didn't last too long, thankfully(a week or so). I think it can be a common phase for kids of that age and I'm definitely not above holding them down. Children need to know how important teeth brushing is.

 

[GooeyRN]

We pinned down dd to brush her teeth. Not exactly GD, but she has nice healthy teeth. We did not have to pin her down anymore after 18 months or so. She likes brushing her teeth now, and begs to a few times a day. Have you tried getting her some toddler toothpaste? For dd, that made her like it more. She felt like she was like the adults, and it tastes good, too. That ended the battles. I have it easy with ds, (12 months) I say "lets brush your teeth" and he walks over and opens his mouth.

 

[luv2bamommy2]

My 16 mo old DS did not like getting his newly erupting teeth brushed either, but my mom got a tooth wipe called Spiffies [http://drraysproducts.com/spiffies_study.html] off the Internet and she would wipe it over his teeth after he ate anything; then she'd let him "chew" the wipe dry.

Then he'd spit it out.

Mom also bought SPRY Infant gel [sweet] and SPRY "RAIN". The RAIN is a spray, excellent to use when out shopping or traveling.

Now my son brushes his own teeth and is very enthusiastic about doing it, and his 20 mo old sister copies him.

I use Xylitol [http://www.xylitolnow.com/faq.html]because he HAD ECC, but he doesn't now!

Try the Spiffies, your child may end up liking them too.

 

[Denali]

I second the spiffies.

My son absolutely wouldn't let me use a toothbrush, but he would consent to letting me wipe his teeth with the spiffies. We did that for several months, and now he is starting to let me use the toothbrush as well. I still use the Spiffies in between brushings and on the road.

By the way, I bought mine on ebay....there's (or at least was) a seller with a pretty good deal, esp. when you buy three boxes at once.

 

[LavenderMae]

I hold my toddler down too with the V sitting, it sucks but for me the negatives of not brushing his teeth since he has a couple of small cavities and white streaks (beginning decay) across his front teeth out way the negatives of brushing his teeth. I have thus far slowed down the progression of his decay and 4ish minutes a day for him having to do something he doesn't like is worth it imo.