How to get my 14 month old to let me brush his teeth?

Question

My husband and I are having a heck of a time brushing our son's teeth. I started out with the tooth brush you put over your finger. We used that one for a few months, and he didn't mind it. Now we've moved to toddler toothpaste and a regular toddler toothbrush with bristles. He HATES it, I can't emphasize the word hate enough here. But he's gotta have his teeth brushed -- he's got 11 and the 12th on the way. Any ideas? Is he just too young for the "big boy" toothbrush?

Answer 1

We went through the same thing with our 22-month-old twins. What I did was let them "brush" their own teeth while they were in the bath. After we washed the up I would try to brush them again with their help

(hand on the tooth brush). That seemed to work for us.

Answer 2

My daughter hated it too... and I'm a dental hygienist so I know how important it is to brush her teeth.  It wasn't until she was about 2 that it became easier.  I would continue with the toothbrush... he'll get used to it.

I know this will sound mean... but it's better than a diseased mouth (cavities are a disease).

I got to the point where I would lay her between my legs, with her head up at my crotch.  I would put her arms under my legs and pin her down.  With my non-dominant hand (washed) I would hook a finger into her mouth and pull out her cheek.  Gently brush.  Repeat on other side.  To get them to open their mouths... stick your fingerway back down the outside of the teeth, so you're putting pressure on the jaw.  The mouth should open... gently brush the inside of the teeth and the biting surfaces.

Use only a smear of fluoride toothpaste.  Teach them to spit out the toothpaste as soon as you think they are capable.  If he will let you wipe his teeth with a soft washcloth instead... that's okay too.  The point of brushing is to disturb the bacterial growth on the teeth and gums.  

Other tips for a cavity free mouth:

- avoid sugary or stick carbs (juice, bagels)... all carbs become sugars

- encourage drinking water after eating to nuetralize acids in mouth

- milk and cheese have a neutralizing quality as well as a enamel stregnthening quality

- use a fluoridated toothpaste daily (just a smear and avoid swallowing)

- avoid putting the child to sleep with a bottle containing anything other than water... obviously this is difficult when they are babies.

- avoid cross contaminating saliva to your child.  Cavities (Caries Disease) is transferred via food sharing, sucking off dropped pacifiers, sharing utensils, etc.  

Answer 3

i sympathize with you i had the same problem with my son he's 2 now.

when i first tried to brush his teeth he just refused.

to get past that i let him brush his first then i would brush them again for him i also let him see me brushing my teeth so he see's that it needs to be done. my son now loves brushing his teeth.

as to letting him have a big boy tooth brush is probs not best at the moment as the bristles will be too hard for his gums and might make them bleed. xx

Answer 4

LOL!  I laugh but I do so with sympathy as I just went through this with my son who is 17 months. He HATES getting his brushed too, especially when a new tooth is popping in!

I started using the Gerber toddler paste and brush (comes as a set) when he first got some teeth (about 9 months old). At first he didn't mind it but then the more teeth he got the more he squirmed and would clamp his mouth shut or holler "mommy no no no" and try and run away.  Since I didn't want to have to tie him up just to brush his teeth I switched tactics on him.

I took him to the store and bought him a toddler toothbrush in the toothbrush area. Colgate makes them and I believe Oral B has a line as well. I let him pick it out. (It's blue with ducks on it). Be sure the bristles are EXTRA SOFT, which the toddler ones will be.  Then i got some different toothpaste by Toms Naturals that is strawberry flavored. It takes a tiny amount to do it right. Now when he needs his teeth brused I set him up on the bathroom counter in front of me and put a hand on top of his head. As I brush I sing silly stuff to him to make him laugh like " gotta brush my teeth so they stay clean gotta brush my teeth germs are mean". He cooperates with no problem now.  He laughs through tooth brushing.  

Another thing I've tried that actually worked really well was a battery powered kids brush. He did well with that in a really soft brush because I think he liked the way it tickled when it cleaned. He has that and a convential brush now for travel.