Trouble Brushing Teeth for My 11-Month Old

Have you tried getting her her own toothbrush and allowing her to watch you do it? My son who has no teeth yet at 10 months watches me and steals my toothbrush all the time. He started putting it in his mouth on his own. Why not let her try?

take control, while you may not want to be the bad one here, brusing her teeth is mandatory & if you are struggling with something as simple as this, imagine how you will struggle with something much more important to her health. if you don't show her now what has to be done whether she likes it or not, you will be fighting with her forever!

my son struggled with me for a bit, but once i showed him what has to be done, forcing my hand in & being firm in my tone of voice, he got the point & it is NO problem at all now to brush them daily - he's two years old and looks forward to it! while it's nice to sugarcoat some things, when it comes to their health, don't mess around and negosiate, just do it!!

each time i brush his teeth, i lay him down, and brush them all. then i sit him up & let him do it on his own for a minute. he dips the brush under the water and brushes with a big smile on his face. he feels in control & i know they are all clean b/c i just cleaned them all.

good luck!

Mine too. She loved it at first, now hates it at 1 year. We are going to the dentsit, if they suggest anything I will let you know. It is a perdiatric dentist. Love the electric toothbrush idea. Just wanted you to know you are not alone. HEHE There is always something to get them use to. Parenting is hard.

Get her a fancy toothbrush with some character she likes on it. Then, brush teeth together. Empower her to take care of her own teeth. Make it mandatory, but FUN! Dental health is no joke, and it pays off for the rest of your life. Best of luck!

Try toothpaste on a fingerbrush. They sell at all baby stores and even CVS and Target. It is safe to swallow and they make really good fruit flavors that my son loves. He comes running when it's time to brush b/c he loves the taste so much.
Good Luck!

Good Morning,
I have always just used the baby toothpaste and finger brush. Both my boys always liked getting their teeth brushed because the toothpaste tastes sweet. Try that maybe after a few tries she will also start to like it.
Hope this helps,
J.

buy her a baby toothbrush and let her try. I know she won't do a good job, but by letting her do it herself, she may be more apt to let you do some too. This worked with both of my kids, who now regularly want to brush their teeth. Also, let her watch you do it while she's holding her toothbrush, she will try to mimick you.

I suggest you buy her a baby soft toothbrush and a mirror. Have both of you brush your teeth together, show her it's okay to brush your teeth, but let her see herself in the mirror. You might want to get a fruity toothpaste. Good luck! A mom of 2 kids.

Hi E.,

onestepahead.com used to have these little rubber toothbrushes that are similar in shape to a tooth whitening tray, and letting your baby chew on it will be sufficient to brush her teeth at this age. Hard to explain, but check out their website and see if they still have something like this. We love them!

D.

When my daughter was about that age i went and got a mini pac of lil toothbrushes and gave her one to play with. Then she got used to it. Within a couple 2-3 days i started to brush my teeth in the livingroom (gross iknow) but she liked watching mommy. by the time she was a year she was attempting to brush onher own and letting me "clean up" after her. She doesnt do the best but she loves the fact i let her try. Hope this helps

HI E.
You could try getting a brush with her fav. caracter on it. They make toddler tooth paste which is safe to swallow. I did this with both of my girls and they love to brush. I started out letting them do it and slowly add my help until they knew what to do(around 3.) But they never fought me when I let them do it first. Show mommy how sparkly clean they are, then pretend they are so sparkly It hurts to look at them! Both my girls love that. Good luck!

I read that in the early months they do not need to "brush" or use paste. I find wrapping a piece of wet sterile gauze on my finger and rubbing her teeth and gums works just fine.

ooo yah. throws me back to my tooth brushing war days with my now 9 year old daughter.

First, I have to ask, have you tried using a tooth brush? She just may not like the feeling of the wash cloth. And what time of day and location do you attempt this cleaning? Have you tried cleaning at different times of day? Are you all business or is it an opportunity for you to bond with her through a game?

Also, genetically, is either side of the family prone to cavities? or does your family have fabulously strong enamel that is impervious no matter how much sugar you eat?

The only advice I can offer to help make the process "less painful" is to offer up that the number of cavities your child acquires is not a measure of your parenting skills. Some people are prone and others are not.

It is helpful for children to see that their parents also brush their own teeth. My daughter actually said to me that she didn't have to brush her teeth because she wanted to be like me and she never saw me brush my teeth.

Seeing is believing for certain age groups and personality types. So, I began brushing and flossing my teeth with her and allowed her the freedom to walk where she wanted so she could explore while she brushed. I just followed with a cup for her to spit into.

Your own flexibility and knowledge of your child will help you to come up with some creative solutions for your own situation.

peace

I also had difficulty with my 14 month old. At first I used a finger brush but she kept biting it. We now have two soft toothbrushes. One for her to hold and try and, while she has fun, I manage to brush her 8 teeth. I was told no toothpaste yet though. We just use water. She also likes to look at herself in the mirror.

Right now for my 8 month old, I just give her a wash cloth. She tends to play with it more. But she does put it in her mouth and it cleans. I did the same thing with my now 28month old. And she''s a good brusher. Try and she if she will do it herself. Maybe even find a toothbrush she can't choke on. I got mine at the WIC office, but I know you can buy them just am not sure wear.

I found a toothbrush sold at One Step Ahead, it is a clear soft kind and gentle on gums too, they sell two to a pack. Your daughter may love putting it in her mouth. Try giving her a little plastic cup of water and this toothbrush at her highchair after every meal. Let her try to do it herself and then maybe when she gets more comfortable she will let you get in there too. Apparently the front baby teeth are mostly self cleaning but the back baby teeth are the ones to take extra care with. Also try asking another young child who is old enough to teach your daughter by demonstration. My daughter was so excited to watch my friend's 4 year old daughter brush her teeth and my daughter even started taking an interest in it after that. Another idea to use, when it makes sense, might be playing the Raffi, song "Brush your teeth" from the Baby Beluga albulm. I hope this helps.

My daughter was like that too, it turned out she wanted to do it herself. I would give her the brush and she would pretend to brush her teeth, and then I would say Mama's turn. Then later I would say Mama's turn then yours. She really would just suck on the toothbrush but that ended a battle.

I started right off with the toothbrush (I just didn't want another transition down the road!) But my dgtr took to it pretty well - but most of the time wouldn't really let me clean her teeth - well that went back and forth - sometimes she was great with the it, then she wouldn't let me really get in there! Don't worry about it too much. Do what you can to brush them - but don't let it be a power struggle and she'll get used to it in time and it won't be such a problem. I also heard that water after other food/liquids helps wash away most of the sugar/starch that's left behind on the gums and teeth. So do your best to brush (and don't forget a swipe of the gums without teeth poking through) and a sip of water to rinse away what's left. She'll be used to it when she's ready! LOL

Oh - and when she was 18 mos (last Christmas) "Santa" left her a children's power toothbrush - she LOVED it - that was actually what helped her brush with less struggle now that I think of it!

Get a soft kids battery opporated kids brush. Put it on and give it to her where she can watch you brush your teeth. My daughter started about a year old imitating me brush my teeth and she loves the toothbrush. Make it a game and have fun. She won't get her teeth done like you would but in a few days ask her to let you help. Try a little each day but don't push. A.

Well, good luck but we are still fighting this battle with my 2.5 year old. Some days he cooperates cheerfully and other days he refuses and clamps his mouth shut. I think it is just personality (he is the same way about taking medicines--sometimes he cooperates and other time he fights like crazy). I have tried demonstrating by brushing my own teeth, letting him try, fun cartoon toothbrushes and fruit flavor paste, letting him have a toothbrush to play with. All helped some but nothing so far has totally made it easy. We tried forcing the issue as well but it was a big battle that did not seem worth it (we couldn't get his teeth that clean). Good luck. Maybe someone else has the right idea for your daughter.