Title: Brushing Teeth
ceres - March 16, 2006 01:59 AM (GMT)
David won't let me brush his teeth.... just like he won't let me cut his fingernails. With his fingernails I just pin him down and do it anyway :doh: but what about his teeth? I can't pry his mouth open! I am really worried hes going to get cavities ... the most he will do is open his mouth, clamp down on the brush, suck off the toothpaste and then he wont stop clamping and no brushing occurs. :help:
andiesmama - March 16, 2006 03:17 AM (GMT)
Did you let him pick out his own toothbrush? Go to the store & buy like 3 or 4 of them....then give him a chance to pick out which one he wants to use...
Let him brush YOUR teeth while YOU brush his teeth....
Make it a race...set the timer & see if mommy can brush all his teeth before the timer goes off....(be sure you LOSE a couple times, the kids think it's GREAT to see mommy get beat! :rollseyes: )
Just some ideas off the top of my head...I'll see if I can think of any more...
ceres - March 16, 2006 03:38 AM (GMT)
I think he might be too young for those... he loves the toothbrush, he just can't brush. He *tries* to brush if I give him his toothbrush while I am brushihg my teeth but I can see he's not really brushing anything... maybe his tongue at best. So he wants to brush, but he wants to do it himself. And no matter how hard I try I can't get him to brush his *teeth* you know? He really tries.... but then he won't let mommy do it in the end. He gets frustrated. :wall:
GutterRat - March 16, 2006 05:25 AM (GMT)
We don't give our daughter a choice. If I don't think she's doing a good job - I'll telher, 'let daddy brush them." If she says no - then she is punished - you don't talk back to mommy & daddy. There was a little battle for awhile - but now she does it on her own & if we tell her to let us do it - she hands it over and we do it.
that's wut we did.
andiesmama - March 16, 2006 12:05 PM (GMT)
Well, he's just asserting his independence from your description Ceres...and of course it's frustrating! :wall:
It's a fine line because you don't want him to hate or even fear brushing his teeth....if you make it a battle, that is. That might turn into fear of the dentist, it'd just snowball. HOWEVER, it's a battle that you're going to have to win. You have a valid point, about him getting cavities, even kids that young have got to brush their teeth.
When it turned into a battle for us (Andie wasn't as young as David, but we DID have struggles with this later), we kinda followed the same route as GR. If she opted to "not" brush her teeth OR just wouldn't let us "help" after she had done it herself, then she lost a priviledge.
Do I remember you saying at one point that you DO timeouts now? Maybe this would be a case you would want to implement it. Make a big deal about how great a job he does, but tell him that you still need to check & make sure his teeth are all sparkly & clean. Maybe compare it to when you help him take a bath or something. And if he still doesn't comply, that's when the time out would come into play...
Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth... B)
andiesmama - March 16, 2006 12:09 PM (GMT)
Found this on babycenter.com:
| QUOTE |
Question: My toddler screams, thrashes, and twists away every time I try to brush his teeth. How can I get him to cooperate?
Answer: The simple answer is "with difficulty"! Still, dental hygiene isn't something you can — or should — avoid for long. In fact, as your child gets more teeth and eats more foods (including sweets) that might get stuck between those teeth, regular brushing becomes increasingly important. Some tips:
Toddlers love copying most everything their parents do, so it's well worth it to make sure that one of those things is toothbrushing. Start by buying identically colored brushes for him and you. Next, sit with your child on the bathroom floor so he can see what you're doing with the toothbrush and try to mimic it. Use a cup for rinsing and a bowl or the bathtub for spitting; each time your toddler puts the brush in his mouth, he earns the right to spit (undoubtedly a toddler's favorite part of the process!).
Once your child is willing to put the toothbrush in his mouth, let him take a turn putting it in yours. Make a game of it: Each time he brushes your teeth, you get a shot at brushing his. If this ploy works, move on to the next step: Letting him "brush" your teeth while you do a thorough job on his. If the ploy doesn't work, though, don't push it. As you've already discovered, you can't force the toothbrush into your child's mouth without hurting or at least scaring him.
Some other tricks: Let your toddler climb up on a footstool (with you behind him for safety) so he can see himself in the bathroom mirror. As he stares at the reflection of the two of you, point to and count his teeth and yours. Then touch each tooth with the brush "to give it its share of toothpaste." (Don't let your child use fluoridated toothpaste, though, until he's at least 2. Just use water on the brush until then.)
Use whatever kids' toothpaste he likes most — this may have more to do with what's on the tube than in it. No matter what kind he chooses, though, be careful to use only a tiny dab and store it in a place where he can't help himself. It may also help to name each tooth as you attend to it so he's persuaded that no single tooth should be left out. This will appeal to his sense of justice and help keep his mouth open when boredom looms.
No matter how you tackle toothbrushing, don't assume that it'll be easy — and don't expect perfection. Few toddlers are consistently cooperative about getting their teeth brushed. What's more, even if your child becomes positively enthusiastic about dental care and brushes his teeth with gusto, he lacks the manual dexterity to do a thorough job. Match his tooth-cleaning attempts with thorough cleaning of your own. |
andiesmama - March 16, 2006 12:11 PM (GMT)
More, same place:
| QUOTE |
Question: How can I get my toddler to brush her teeth without a nightly battle?
Answer: Your toddler will be more apt to brush her teeth if you make the entire experience fun. For example, you might buy an electric toothbrush that'll do a lot of the cleanup work and enthrall her with the noise it makes at the same time. If you prefer to use a regular toothbrush, take her to the drugstore and let her choose her own toothbrush. Some feature cartoon characters on them that children love. (Don't let your child use fluoridated toothpaste, though, until she's at least 2, and then no more than a pea-size amount.)
If yours is a younger toddler, it works best to start brushing her teeth right away, even if she has only a few of them. This way dental hygiene becomes a part of your child's daily routine before she becomes the typically combative toddler afflicted with a case of the "no's." Also, make brushing a family activity; let your child watch you as you brush your own teeth, and remember to live it up. If you act as if brushing teeth is one of the most enjoyable things you do in your day, she may attack it with more gusto. |
And a couple hints from parents on there:
| QUOTE |
"The electric toothbrush works like a charm... my little guy (16 mo) sees me brushing my teeth with mine and he can't WAIT to jump in there too!"
-- Lisette
"Just a quick reminder: If your child suddenly decides he doesn't want to brush his teeth (or to let you do it) and even goes so far as to cry when the issue's pushed... He may be teething!! This isn't too soon to get their "two year" molars - so please keep that in mind before forcing the issue. A little Motrin may work wonders an hour or so before brushing."
-- Nikki and teething 21 month old Charlie! |
andiesmama - March 16, 2006 12:13 PM (GMT)
Here's some more tips from parents:
Parent's Tips Sarah - March 16, 2006 05:55 PM (GMT)
We did this:
| QUOTE (andiesmama) |
| Let him brush YOUR teeth while YOU brush his teeth.... |
And this:
| QUOTE (GutterRat @ Mar 15 2006, 11:25 PM) |
We don't give our daughter a choice. If I don't think she's doing a good job - I'll telher, 'let daddy brush them." If she says no - then she is punished - you don't talk back to mommy & daddy. There was a little battle for awhile - but now she does it on her own & if we tell her to let us do it - she hands it over and we do it.
that's wut we did. |
Even at 4 I still brush Kat's teeth (teeth is one of those things I'm anal about LOL). I always brush them first and then I let her brush them. But when we first started brushing her teeth and she didn't want to we treated it like any other time she disobeyed us and she was disciplined. It wasn't a battle for long and she learned very quickly that brushing her teeth wasn't negotiable.
ceres - March 16, 2006 06:31 PM (GMT)
First... he's 18 months... if I took away a "priviledge" (does he even get any yet? I don't think he does :unsure: ) he would have no connection between the teeth brushing experience and the later priviledge. ... let me read the rest
ceres - March 16, 2006 06:35 PM (GMT)
Hmmm I'll have to think about this. My first thought is to maybe find a stool tall enough that he can stand at the sink with me. He couldn't spit if he wanted to right now. I think the biggest problem is his age. Unlike older children who fully understand cause and effect, he would only get it if it were immediate. This is at bedtime and bedtime is kind of like a time out so I don't tihnk a time out would work very well...
GutterRat - March 16, 2006 11:26 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (ceres @ Mar 16 2006, 12:31 PM) |
| First... he's 18 months... if I took away a "priviledge" (does he even get any yet? I don't think he does :unsure: ) he would have no connection between the teeth brushing experience and the later priviledge. ... let me read the rest |
He doesn't have any toys he plays with? I'm sure he does - take his favorite toy away from a time.
ceres - March 17, 2006 02:31 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (GutterRat @ Mar 16 2006, 05:26 PM) |
| QUOTE (ceres @ Mar 16 2006, 12:31 PM) | | First... he's 18 months... if I took away a "priviledge" (does he even get any yet? I don't think he does :unsure: ) he would have no connection between the teeth brushing experience and the later priviledge. ... let me read the rest |
He doesn't have any toys he plays with? I'm sure he does - take his favorite toy away from a time.
|
We do this right before bedtime...
andiesmama - March 17, 2006 12:01 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (ceres @ Mar 16 2006, 09:31 PM) |
| QUOTE (GutterRat @ Mar 16 2006, 05:26 PM) | | QUOTE (ceres @ Mar 16 2006, 12:31 PM) | | First... he's 18 months... if I took away a "priviledge" (does he even get any yet? I don't think he does :unsure: ) he would have no connection between the teeth brushing experience and the later priviledge. ... let me read the rest |
He doesn't have any toys he plays with? I'm sure he does - take his favorite toy away from a time.
|
We do this right before bedtime...
|
yeah, so then it definitely wouldn't work, there's no way he'd remember the next morning.
With a child David's age, you've just gotta make it as "fun" as possible yet still non-negotiable....easier said than done, I know! :rollseyes: :tease:
ceres - March 17, 2006 05:50 PM (GMT)
and then there is the issue that he isnt particularly attached to one toy or item. :dunno: I rotate his toys every few weeks so he's used to some not always being out.... if I didn't our small house would be more of a toy minefield than it already is :blink:
LynnMcG - March 17, 2006 06:23 PM (GMT)
We have the same problem with Sean. When my daughter was a baby I started using a washcloth to clean her teeth so she was used to it. She never really gave us a hard time...except now that she's 7 she's Miss Thing with the 'tude. But that's another story.
With Sean, I found getting him a good battery powered toothbrush made a huge difference. I brush his teeth, then while I let him do his, I do mine so he can see what I'm doing. It's really cute.
Oh, and they're cheap now too. I think we paid around $5 for ours at Walmart. I can't remember what kind they are...and I'm feeling too lazy to go across the house to look. But I think they're Crest Spinbrush.
One more thing...My mom got Sean Spongebob toothpaste for Christmas. He LOVES that he has his very own tube of toothpaste. So make it something fun for David too. Let him pick out the color of toothbrush and the toothpaste he wants. make it a new big boy thing for him.
ceres - March 17, 2006 07:51 PM (GMT)
Battery powered toothbrush... that might be fun indeed.... we'll have to go right after we get back from vacation, which is the next time we're going to the store...
vacation!
:tgif: