Tips please on how to start teeth brushing with 15 mth old?

[Ko]

baby ko has finally got not one but two teeth at the grand old age of 15 months. so we haven't had to worry about cleaning teeth before. however, now he is 15 months old and has clear ideas about what he likes and doesn't like and can struggle a lot when he wants to get away from us!

how do we start? we have tried letting him watch us clean our teeth and play with his toothbrush. but he doesn't want to put it in his mouth yet. do we just hold him down and go for it? i think that will just put him off even more! he is very good at clamping his mouth shut when he doesn't want something.

usually, eg with nail cutting, i just strap him in his chair, put the tv on and do it while he complains, but that is just every coupole of weeks or so. teeth cleaning twice a day is much more frequent - arghh!!

any tips or advice would be very gratefully received. many thanks xxx

[ClareC]

I use Dentinox toothpaste and finger brush which my daughter seems to like, also, I make the sound of an electric toothbrush (like we use) which she thinks is great and so lets me brush her teeth!

[Ko]

thanks clare - do you know anyway i could get these locally? i went into lloyds on ncx rd last week but they didn't have much in for baby teeth cleaning - ditto with peckham rye boots!

[candj]

We used to lay our kids on the floor and sing to them whilst brushing their teeth for distraction. Sometimes it would be a struggle sometimes not. Eventually they would get used to it and it was a bedtime habit/ritual before the bath. We still brush their teeth now (6&4) as my sister in law who is a hygenist and her orthodontist husband say to brush childrens teeth until they are 7 b/c children cannot do it properly themselves until this age (reaching the back teeth, etc)

I've seen the finger tooth brushes at sainsburys. Definitely used to have them at macy's before they were a lloyds on ncr!

[ClareC]

There is a finger toothbrush in the packet of dentinox toothpaste. I bought my last pack at the Sainsburys on DKH.

C x

[Norfolkvillas]

We have always used one of these http://www.brushbaby.co.uk/ (JoJo Maman Bebe sell them). I give it to my 15 month old and he puts it straight in his mouth and chews away for ages, which has the added bonus of keeping him quiet whilst I'm getting his PJs on after bathtime.

[The Nappy Lady]

Try sitting on the floor with your legs wide & get baby Ko to lie back with his head in your lap looking up at you - he will naturally open his mouth & you can brush away!

We also have a song we sing - "This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth early in the morning / when it's nearly bedtime" etc etc

I think using a song helps then to quickly get with the routine so they know what to expect & how long it will last.

We still brush both children's teeth (6 & 2), though I let the 6 year old have a go herself too as she's getting fairly competent now but I still like to 'make sure'.

[reneet]

My daughter always liked imitating so I would give her her brush while I have mine and she would brush hers while I did mine, then we would swap and do each others, worked for a while, she got used to it now she just opens wide and lets whoever is doing it get on with it. Just used regular baby brushes from the supermarket and used the 3 baby toothpastes as well, normal adult brands but baby ones eg colgate and the likes.

[Ko]

just back from a few days away. thanks for all these great tips - lots of things to try! hope one of them works - today baby ko held his toothbrush for a couple of seconds and then threw it on the floor and tried to get away!

many thanks once again xxx