13 month old won't let us brush her teeth anymore, help! - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

Cookiem26 · 07-18-2007, 05:51 PM

Hi everyone. I recently posted about help in weaning my DD from her bedtime bottle and I followed the advice I found on this board and it worked great, no more bottle for the last 3 nights. thanks! but now I am encountering a new problem. We have always brushed my DD's teeth since she first got a couple at 6 months old. She always gets so excited when we ask her if she wants to brush her teeth. We have worked it in to our routine and we have been brushing them twice a day. She has 12 teeth now and working on more. well a couple of days ago she decided she no longer liked it at ALL. she closes her mouth and hits the tooth brush away and hits at us. it took my DH and I both tonight, he held her and kept her arms down so I could do it and she screamed he entire time. I hope this is just a phase of independence because I find it in other areas too not just brushing her teeth but I know brushing them is important. however, several nights a week I have her by myself and am not sure how I am going to handle this without my DH's help. Any advice that has worked for anyone? My DH brushed his teeth too to try to entice her to do it but it didn't work. I appreciate your thoughts...

mkgbrook · 07-18-2007, 06:39 PM

We went to one of the motorized tooth brushes that spins when you press a button. My son loves it. We haved a deal, he goes over his teeth then I check afterward. We do it morning and night.

Other than that.. I know what it is like to have to open their mouth a horse and work it under protest.

Sincerely,
MG

sem627 · 07-18-2007, 09:45 PM

Oh my goodness, I was JUST thinking I needed to post this exact same question as I was opening the Healthboards and right there it was. Too funny.

I'm having the exact same issue with my 14 month old son. He's better with his daddy doing it, but he's rarely here to do so. I got him a brand new Elmo toothbrush and that worked a little, but now he won't even let me do that. Tonight I wet a washcloth a little and thought he'd at least let me go over them with it and he refused that as well. I don't know what to do either. I'm thinking the forcing and screaming isn't worth it. He's my third and maybe with my first I would have fought the battle. But when I'm alone trying to get three kids to bed...I'm not up for the fight. I know it's important and I'm hoping it's just a phase for right now. I'll keep trying though. I could try the motorized one, but I think he's too small for that.

Do you use the baby toothpaste? That might work for your daughter. My son won't allow it even with that. I try to give it to him and at least he will sometimes put it in there and chew on it a bit. Thought that was a least something, but now he just throws it. I don't know what to do either, so I'll be interested in the responses as well.

Seraph · 07-19-2007, 03:52 AM

I can't help feeling that leaving the toothbrushing at this age is a lesser evil than holding down a screaming child and teaching her to loathe and fear the toothbrush for ever. JMHO. The risk of permanent tooth decay is pretty much minimal if the child eats cleaning foods like carrot and apple.

jmcummins3 · 07-19-2007, 07:46 AM

If it's an independence thing, maybe you can try letting her brush her own teeth. I know they don't clean them like you do, but maybe that will help a little with getting her to back down and relax a bit. With DD2, she started out letting me brush them but then decided she wanted to do it herself. So, now I've compromised and got her to agree to let mama do it then she could do it herself (or vice versa). Otherwise, a new toothbrush, new toothpaste, rewards and positive reinforcement might help.