How Do You Brush a Toddler's Teeth?

Has she been to a dentist yet?

We get a LOT of children for dental repairs and extractions that are 3 years old, have 8 teeth, and 7 of them are shot (thanks to bottlemouth). That young and already having dental problems. I don't have any tips for getting a toddler to brush, but please just keep trying.

Try a different tasting toothpaste and let her taste it from your finger first. Then you can use one of those baby washcloths and wash her teeth with a tiny bit of the paste. I seem to remember doing something like that with my kids.

My dentist always said baby teeth can be wiped with a soft cloth, then later when more foods are introduced let them be the guide at first. Dont try to hold the baby and "do it right". Let them explore with the toothbrush in a controlled clean environment. EVERYTHING goes in a toddlers mouth. Let them just chew on the brush until they can be accepting of small "lessons" about the tooth brush. And by all means dont expect a little one not to be real suspicious of a tooth brush if someone has tried to put that thing in their mouth and brush their teeth for them with any nasty tooth paste on it. The consistency and initial taste of the toothpaste itself will clamp those jaws shut.
Start them at the dentist office for "happy visits" around 3 when hopefully there wont be anything wrong to be fixed. I havent ever had trouble getting my kids to the dentist, but i wish i could say they never had a cavity. Although they didnt when they were little, its when they get adolescent age that those visits start getting a little more costly.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2299_brush-toddlers-teeth.html

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ad.php?t=90788

http://forums.naturalparenting.com.a...read.php?t=936

what does your pediatrician say? i don't know what age dentist trips should start at, but i think i'd start with the pedi. my guess is that if she doesn't want to brush the best approach is not to force the issue though, wait till she's more ready.... my

Duct tape and a tranquilizer. J/K The thing that finally worked for my kids was the finger tip tooth brush. It is a tooth brush thats slips on your finger.

I also let them "brush" (more like chew on it) their own teeth first, so they were more willing to let me try.

Just keep trying. It will get easier as they get older. Try making it fun, by letting her pick out her own brush and tooth paste. sometimes they just want to feel in control and by letting them pick out what they want to use will make it easier.

HTH
Erin

Bingo! That's what worked for my nieces - they both started out using the same thing (Actually, the elder kid picked her own one out. Then the younger one insisted on picking her own but picked the same kind as her sister )

I frankly don't care S'long as their teeth get cleaned
I've got bad teeth myself and a boderline phobia of the dentist office (just one example: 3 root canals done on the same tooth )

And the white stuff on their tongue isn't thrush (unless it's curdy white - literally looks like curds. I'm on a thin edge here, medical advice and all) - but I'm pretty sure it's gunk.... 'specially milk gunk!

It should scrape right off with water and a washcloth

She likes to do what you are doing I am sure. My little man likes to mimic everyone on the house. Let her brush her teeth while you are brushing yours. Make it a game. Out boy likes to brush his teeth when big sister does hers. I am usually able to get a swipe or two in also.