Brushing Toddler's Teeth a Nightmare!

Hi S.,
I know you've already gotten a lot of advice but I thought I'd throw mine out there too :)

I was told by my pediatrician to just let him do it on his own. He won't get an amazing cleaning but it will get him into the habit and eventually he will learn how to do it correctly - and he did. Plus, its a lot less traumatizing...and he won't hate brushing his teeth :)
and another thing that helped was getting him a spin brush - my dentist let me know that it was the absolute best thing to do since most kids aren't as thorough as they should be. hope that helps! Good Luck!

I'm having the same problem with my 21 month old. He absolutely HATES having his teeth brushed. Unfortunately, he has at least one cavity despite my brushing of his teeth. I don't really have any advice but I wanted to let you know that you're not alone!!

My son is 3 1/2 and we still struggle over teeth brushing. I started pretending there were animal on his teeth that I had to get off with the brush. We name the animals, say where they are and make the noises while I try to scrub as quickly and efficiently as I can. Before this I had to hold him in almost a headlock and hurry up while he screamed his head off too.

Hi S., Call me stupid, but I did not brush my childrens teeth with any regularity until they were over two and had been to the dentist for the first time. At their first dentist appointment they learned all about brushing teeth and they could parstiapate in the activity after that, I only had to do a quick once around to make sure they did a good job. Three kids & 16 yrs later still no cavities so it either worked or we're just lucky. At 14 months old your son should still be teething so your probably really bothering his gums even with the gentelest of touches and brush. Maybe if you brushed his teeth less often? Good luck!

S.,

I have never had any problems with my kids brushing their teeth. I have always brushed with them, and let them watch mommy and do their own teeth just like Mommy.
Maybe he's cutting some more teeth on top and it probably hurts to brush.
Try a toothbrush with his favorite charachter.

Good Luck!

S.,
My son is 16 months old and doesn't like his top teeth brushed too much either. Reason: His eye teeth/gums are swollen. He has been teething with these for some time now and I am sure any day they will be coming through but it sounds like the same thing. Maybe not the same teeth but keep in mind their gums are very sore even if the brush is soft. If you still are not convinced it is teething call the dentist.
Good luck!
Chris

My younger son gave me the same hardship. He is now almost 3 and it is still a struggle sometimes.
Sometimes he likes to brush himself, although he doesn't do a great job, at least it is better than nothing.
He has a spin brush that looks like a firetruck, he likes that and will usually brush with that.
Sometimes when my kids brush really well, I close my eyes and act like their teeth are so bright while I make comments about needing my sunglasses, etc. They think that is really funny and so they will keep brushing and smiling at me.
I realize your little guy is a little young, and to be honest, when mine was that young, sometimes I just more or less brushed his teeth despite his protests, with my husbands help. He didn't like that and so he was a little more likely to let me brush them next time or else do it himself.
Hopefully something will work for you.

Hi S.! I also have a 14 month child and around 10 months she did the same thing with her top teeth. I finally discovered that if I let her play with the toothbrush after we were done, the next time wasn't so bad. Finally we are now at the point where if she sees her toothbrush she wants it! She's almost brushing her own teeth now! The downfall is it can be hard sometimes to brush b/c she wants to play, but it's better than kicking and screaming. I find if I get in there and brush and tell her she can have it when I'm done, she's fine. Good luck!

It might be possible that he has a cavity in one of the top teeth, and it hurts when you brush it. That could be why he doesn't mind having the bottom teeth brushed. I would have a dentist check it out.

He may be getting some more teeth & it's painful. Did you try just using O. of those fingertip rubbery brushes? Maybe not as bristley.
If all you can do is use a damp cool washcloth to go over the teeth--at least do that. You can also give him a toothbrush just to chew on--it may help the teething pain if that's what's happening. Also, my son liked the light up toothbrushes...or you can always do the game "Let's see what animals/food/trucks are hiding in your mouth" let's see...there's a zebra behind that O.....etc.
Good luck.

Just asked my hygenist about this. My little guy does the same thing. She suggested that I try cleaning his teeth with a cloth if I can't get the brush in there. Also to give him the tooth brush so that he can chew on it while watching tv or sitting in the highchair. I also use a childs battery powered tooth brush on my little guy. We tell my older daughter to make sure she gets all the sugar bugs out and it's like a game. Hope this helps!

Hi. My daughter didnt like her teeth being brushed so I ended up buying her a tooth brush at Traget that plays music and it worked like a charm! They are in with the normal childrens tooth brush section and there is a button at the bottom of the brush and it plays music. I actually dont even have to use it much anymore becuase she will allow me to brush her teeth with no fuss w/ a regular brush. Its worth a try. Good luck!

All four of my kids went through the "do it myself stage" regarding toothbrushing. I have held them between my legs, one arm holding their arms down, brushing as quickly as possible, ugh.... The best way I discovered is to let them do it themself, then "Mommy checked on what a good job they did." I snuck the toothpaste donning brush in to "test" just how clean they really were. I praised with out over doing it (for fear they would be independent enough too soon for them to actually do a good job!)Their teeth were clean, and they were happy and proud of themselves!

Good Luck!

My aunt used to go crazy brushing her first kids teeth, he is now about 10 I think and they have thousands of dollars wrapped up in his teeth. Her dentist told her that once a day morning or night with water and a soft brush is all a child will need. A childs teeth can easily be stripped of the enamel and later make cavities easier to get later in life. As for the crying try haveing him help do it. Either hold his hand while he does it and direct the brush of have him hold your hand. No garrenties but it's worth a shot. Lil kids like to be involved and teaching good heigene is never to early in my book.
As a last resort do half in the morning and half a night. Good luck.

my 12 month old does the same thing. she lets me brush the bottom 2 teeth but not the top. i keep trying but I don't worry too much because by the time her big teeth come in, I'm sure she'll have gotten over this. :)

He's def. being a typical toddler. I wouldn't get too upset about it. Just be consistent with him as with everything else. My son (29 monhths)is the same way. I try and play games with him so he will let me brush his teeth. For example, I make believe the tooth brush is chasing him and when we catch up he lets me brush his teeth. The dentist told me that it is most important to brush them at night and if he does not allow me to just wipe them down with a wet rag.

Hi S.. I have a 16 month old and I asked the same thing from the Moms. My little guy hates his teeth brushed. He likes to hold the brush on his own and will do a quick brush here or there, which is better than nothing. It is necessary to get the food off now, so I take a washcloth and go in and rub his teeth. This is less invasive but still does the job. he at least allows me to do this. Good luck and try not to fight with him, or he will learn that this isn't fun and will have problems later on. Try different things all the time. Its not easy, but worth it. Good Luck.

Let him chew on the tooth brush after you brush his bottom teeth, he will get a lot of the yuck on his teeth and it will become something he realizes he can help with. My daughter loves brushing her teeth and I allow her to chew on the brush for a few mins. afterward, it makers her feel important!