Brushing Teeth - Clinton Township,MI

Hi N.,

When my boys were teething, they really liked to chew on a toothbrush. My ped said that it helped them relieve pressure and cut the teeth.

Just skip the toothpaste and hand over a nice cool, wet Elmo toothbrush and let her do it. It will feel good, it will brush the debris from her teeth and she'll feel that she's in control of this little part of her life.

--R.

HI N.,

I have been a dental assistant for years plus I have 2 kids who went through the same thing. Don't worry your daughter will get in the habit of brushing. Most important is make it as fun as possible tell her that her teeth are ticklish and use the brush to lightly tickle them make a funny voice and say tickle tickle tickle. Sounds goofy but works good. Don't be concerned to much. Right now is the time to get accumstomed to brushing not so much quality. If her teeth are sore don't push brushing, use a cool rag and stick your finger in it to rub on her teeth and gums. Sleeping with milk is not the greatest try to get her to drink her milk before bed and give her a cup of water to sleep with, The sugar from milk sits on the teeth all night and will cause decay. Don't worry you can slowly move her from the milk to water it is just not a great habit to fall into. Remember to always be positive with oral care which makes them less afraid of the dentist. I notice parents sometimes make the childs fear worse instead of giving positivity. Good Luck this age has a lot of adjustments. :)

I'd get her a infant/toddler toothbrush with Elmo on it sure. But really you should be brushing her teeth after her milk before she sleeps. Milk in the mouth overnight doesn't make for good teeth later.

Cut the milk out, or at least have it BEFORE you brush the teeth. As wonderful as milk is for the body the natural chemistry of the milk will rot the child's teeth.

I would try a soft bristled, child's tooth brush. The rubber one might be hurting those tender gums. (4 molars at once. WOW, mine did a similar thing. Not fun on my or babe.)

I think the teeth brushing thing is hard! My 20 month old really likes his ELmo toothbrush and I have the thomas "safe to swallow" paste. Our ped says to do it once a day so we do it after we get dressed after breakfast. He sits on the toilet seat and lets me get a few strokes in, then I give him the brush and he used to just chew on it, but lately has started imitating me while I brush. I sometimes wonder if we are getting all the spots covered - every now and then I make him lay on the bed and I really try to get every spot - he does not enjoy that. I don't know if thats helpful to you but at least know that I don't know if I am doing it right either!

Putting a child to bed with is begging for future cavities -even from un erupted teeth. Try giving the milk first if she needs the snack -then put her to bed with a bottle of water.
Children are great imitators -let her watch you brushing your teeth -take your time and see if she is watching you .
Let her see you do this every day at the same times.
When you brush her teeth -be quick. don't labor the task -perhaps she doesn't like being still for too long . It will come good habits are worth the effort !
You sound like a wonderful Mommy!

Hi N.,
I am a mom of a 2 year old, 2 month old little girl and have ask advise similar to this in the past too. It seems that NO KID likes to brush their teeth on a daily and consistent basis. I think you have to be really careful of getting into power struggles. Getting at least one good brushing a day would be great success at that age. My daughter has already been to the dentist and allowed her teeth to be cleaned and flossed (she doesn't let me do this!). I don't pin her down to brush her teeth like I have seen some parents do, but I have used time out and loss of TV program, etc. (some days it took 45 minutes to get her to let me to brush her teeth after her attempt). She has been doing a great job this past week, so I think she realizes that she will not win this battle, so better have fun doing it. Fun toothbrushes certainly help and fun tasting toothpaste (non-floride... I like Tom's silly strawberry). I also got a small table top mirror so that she can watch herself brush her teeth; that has worked really well. Also, I brush my teeth with her and have her watch me so she can copy what I am doing. (During the day, I let her practice without my intervention... whenever the opportunity arises. Before bed, I get to brush her teeth after she practices)
I think the most important thing is to make this a fun experience so she can feel she is in control of this self-care behavior. If you can't get a good brushing one day for whatever reason, don't stress out about it.
Hope this helps,
Good luck because this is an issue that kids at all ages struggle with!!
S.

We bought the Elmo/Sesame Street toothbrush that spins. It has made a difference. My son still doesn't especially like to have his teeth brushed. But, he tolerates it much better and I feel like we are actually doing a better job brushing. Good luck and God Bless!

Hi N.,

My son who is 21 months has been "brushing" his teeth since about 12 months. I gave him a fun little toothbrush and he brushes with just water. I usually brush the teeth with training toothpaste, which is flouride-free, so it is marked "safe to swallow". I think it's a good habit, especially if she is eating solids regularily. I hope this helps a bit! Good luck!