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cdlamis
10-18-2003, 04:29 PM
Julia has started to not like having her teeth brushed. I can only brush them for about 30 seconds total and I am not even sure I am getting all sides of her teeth (all 3 of them!)

For how long do you brush DD/DS's teeth?

I feel like a bad mommy that I can't seem to brush them right.
Any ideas or tips on how to make her like it more? I have tried letting her hold it- she just chews on it which I know is better than nothing.

Thanks!
Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b

egoldber
10-18-2003, 06:40 PM
Honestly, I let Sarah do it. Sometimes she does it very thoroughly and sometimes its only for 5 seconds. She has a brush she picked out and she likes doing it.

Personally, at this age, I think its all about creating the habit and I am trying really hard NOT to create any negative associations with it. My MIL created a battle of wills with my DH over toothbrushing when he was a child, and he STILL has issues with it and hates to go to the dentist to this day.

So I would not sweat it and just follow her lead.

HTH,

lukkykatt
10-18-2003, 06:50 PM
I brush my teeth at the same time as DS, which for some reason, makes it seem more fun for him. Then when he is done, I take a "turn".

Good luck!

cdlamis
10-19-2003, 07:53 PM
Thank you all for your help. Makes me feel better.
Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b

elvisfan
10-19-2003, 09:28 PM
I brush her teeth 2 times a day:)

hjdong
10-29-2003, 09:22 PM
I'm a little late to this topic but, do you use toothpaste? When should you start using toothpaste? Thanks,

egoldber
10-29-2003, 11:11 PM
You can use toothpaste when they learn not to swallow it. I still don't trust my DD not to swallow it, so we are using that Gerber "toothpaste".

HTH,

jojo2324
10-31-2003, 11:03 AM
We use the Gerber toothpaste as well.

DS loves to brush his teeth, but it's usually him mashing down on the bristles with his gums. After he scrapes them for a few minutes, I get my turn and quickly brush what I can. Sometimes he cooperates, sometimes not. I figure at this point in the game it's important to instill the habit, but not necessarily the need to do it correctly.

mamahill
10-31-2003, 03:23 PM
Ainsleigh loves to "brush" her teeth. I don't really know what she's doing in there with it - mostly chewing on the bristles, but she definitely brushes better when she sees me brushing. I brush her teeth once around and then say, "Your turn!" Sometimes she brushes for 5 seconds - sometimes several minutes. She brushes her teeth with water in the morning and with the Gerber toothpaste at night.

One thing, DH recently had a dentist appointment and we had noticed that Ainsleigh's toothbrush was looking pretty disgusting (bristles at right angles), so I asked him to ask them what kind of toothbrush would be best. Instead of sending him home with a toothbrush he wouldn't use (we have an electric one), they sent him home with 2 toddler toothbrushes. Excellent! Now we have toothbrushes upstairs and down:).

sarasprings
11-02-2003, 08:19 AM
A toothbrush is literally the only thing that DS hates in his mouth. He puts it in on his own, makes a face, and takes it out. It must be something with the texture. We just got one of those finger toothbrushes and if I get 10 seconds in there, I'm lucky. I'm hoping it gets better with time. DS has 12 teeth now, so I'm sort of freaking out that he's been getting cavities the whole time we were trying to use the regular looking toothbrush.

cdlamis
11-03-2003, 10:56 AM
Julia started hating using a toothbrush until I got the Gerber toothpaste for babies. She must love the taste because now she begs to brush her teeth several times a day! I read that the baby toothpaste is not necessary but I know it sure made it a lot easier for us!

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b

colinml
11-25-2003, 10:20 PM
My wife taught our 16 month old son to brush his teeth by teaching him to sing "La...." And then we gave him a child's battery operated toothbrush, which he absolutely loves. He loves anything that make a noise or operates like a machine. He literally can't wait to brush his teeth. He'll usually brush until we tell him to stop. And, as an added bonus, when he is teething, he will ask for the toothbrush to hold on the spot that hurts.

raynjen
12-17-2003, 01:42 AM
Our dentist told us that it is perfectly okay for kids to swallow some toothpaste - the main concern is that they don't get too much flouride. So, if you have flouride in the water you wouldn't want them swallowing, but if you don't have flouride let them go for it! Also he said the main difference between adult and kids toothpastes is that adult toothpaste has anti-tartar ingredients which most kids don't like (actually, he said all kids don't like it, but our kid LIKES adult toothpaste - go figure!)

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to Noelle (10/25/01)