Teeth Brushing - Troy,OH

my dentist showed me how to put a finger at the back of her teeth so that my daughter couldn't bite me but i could brush her teeth. I also let my daughter brush her teeth first and then i would. I used no floride toothpaste till she would let me brush and she would spit. Good Luck!

I went through this as well. I started having her stand at the sink on a stool so she could see herself. Then I would give her the brush and let her brush for a while before it's "mommy's turn." Do you know the song, "Here we go round the Mullberry Bush"? We sing the "This is the way we brush our teeth..." She seems to respond well to the song. She still struggles a bit when it's my turn to brush but at least she lets me get in there a bit.

I used to lie them on the floor on their backs and sit on them and brush their teeth. Teeth brushing is necessary. I did not hurt them when I did this.

I used to say, do you want to brush your teeth or do you want to do it the Hard Way? If they chose the Hard Way (where I sat on them), then that was their choice.

I repeat, I was not brutal and I never hurt them.

Hi M.,

I've been there! My son (now 5) was exactly the same way! I actually had to hold him down and shove the brush in when he screamed. It was horrible.

What ended up helping was to get him an electric toothbrush (actually a sonicare, but there are less expensive options I'm sure). That way, once I did get the brush in there, I just had to make sure it touched every tooth and the job was done.

Now, he brushes himself but still uses the Sonicare. He likes the feeling, and I like that it does most of the work for him.

:)
T.

I went through this as a phase, and she stopped. A friend did suggest brushing teeth in the bathtub w her bath.... We also taught her the concept of easy or hard... So she knows hard is on the floor and no fun. But she would do well awhile then regress. We did the blinking, the dora, the electric toothbrushes, all would last a few days...hang in there. Also try letting them go first...

Use one of those tooth brushes with the thick end to prop her mouth open and then you can get in with another tooth brush and brush her teeth. I have problems with brushing my sons teeth. I force my way in his mouth and brush. He also has a muscial electric toothbrush that he likes.

xylitol is a great alternative to this phase-

she may be teething- which means her gums could be sensitive.

if you can wrap a thin cloth around your finger and rub the xylitol gel around it would help retard bacteria growth....

Good luck!

Yes, they get tired after the first excitement wears off.. It becomes a chore.. Have you tried taking turns brushing each others teeth?

I used to sometimes give my daughter "chances to brush" my teeth and dads teeth, then we would say, "my turn! I get to brush your teeth.".

Remember to thank her and tell her what a good job she did on your teeth.. she can also brush your tongue so she will learn to brush her own tongue too..

Always tell her how good her teeth look when they are clean..

Wait wait wait - they outgrow this!!!!!!! Dang, can someone tell my 14 year old that? LOL actually since I have invested a ton of money in his mouth for braces this month he is actually brushing and everything.

Obviously, brushing was an issue in my house. I bought him a variety of toothbrushes when he was little - usually let him pick them out himself. He liked the ones that played music. Some had music on a "timer" and he brushed while the song played. We also did electric toothbrushes (still do). But there where times when I had to basically sit on him and brush his teeth. We brushed our teeth together, and made a rather gross game out of rinse and spit - but hey, I am raising a boy and they are just more gross than little girls.

M., we all go through this. I think the important thing is that you are teaching dental hygiene to your daughter and this will get easier as she gets older. At her age the attention span it just not there to hang in and brush for the recommended two minutes. Do you floss her teeth? My hygienist gave me a tip years ago, when my son was little, to do that right before bedtime, when he was sleepy. He would lay with his head in my lap and I would floss for him. It worked well.

You are doing all right things.

Yes a stage! I sat on top of her and brushed, until she got over it and decided to let me again. It didn't take long for her to figure out she was getting her teeth brushed one way or another. She is now 5 and clamped her mouth shut the other day and I reminded her when she was 2 I made sure she got them brushed and showed her how we did it...the next time she was more than willing to brush.

I know its not ideal, but maybe just let it go for a few days and then try again and see if she's softened. This must be normal because my son did the same thing. Just let it go and then maybe find a book or cartoon that has kids brushing their teeth, get her a new one with new toothepaste and see if that gets her excited to try it again!

Good luck!
A. V.

Just keep trying every day and if she refuses, let it go, but keep it as part of the daily routine and then when something changes she will be doing it herself and not want your help at all.

One of my kids was difficult regarding brushing, and the only thing was tough love. We told her we had to clean her teeth to keep them healthy, that it was a safety thing that was non-negotioable, and we had to pin her down for two days to do it. It was terrible for those four brushings, but once she saw we were serious (and saw us brushing our own teeth), she gave in.

You've tried many things, and so did we, and this was the only way we could get it done without a 30 minute battle.

Good luck!