How to brush baby teeth?

Question

Our 11-mo old has 5 teeth now & we've heard we need to start brushing teeth. But he refuses, he clamps his mouth shut & it's pointless to pry it open. I think the only thing we can do is keep trying every few weeks, don't pry open his mouth, and when he eventually is able to speak & understand us then maybe we can start then even if he's 3 yrs old then. Is this OK?

Answer 1

My son is 12 months and sometimes he clamps down when I try to brush his teeth.

To help with this problem, I have been showing him how I brush my teeth and then brush his. I also let him hold the toothbrush. If he plain just refuses to let me anywhere near his teeth, I take a washcloth and rub his gums and teeth down with water and we try the next time around with the toothbrush. In most cases he will let me use a washcloth.

I was using the oragel brand where you put it on your finger but with him, he has 6 teeth and he was biting me...so we quit that one and went to a toddler toothbrush.

I would say give it a try everyday, especially right before bed to prevent cavities. The more you do it, the more it becomes routine, and the more he will begin to accept it.

If that does not work, the next time you have a dental checkup ask to bring in your son. They can look at his teeth and give you tips on how to clean his teeth.

I would not wait on this one. Dental health is very important. I saw many kids, mostly kids on the bottle too long that had capped teeth or rotten teeth. It was terrible. Some had problems with speech and eating, while others where embarrassed by their lack of teeth when they entered school. Baby teeth lay a foundation for permanent teeth. I do not want to scare you, and in reality missing a brushing here and there probably won't cause major problems, but I would start a good routine of brushing.

http://dentalresource.org/topic46babyteeth.htm

I hope this helps!! Good luck to you and your little one.

Answer 2

First off, make sure you are using a soft, tiny brush. Or at the grocery or drug store you can find little rubber bristled, baby toot brushes. You could even just use a wash cloth and rub the surface of the teeth to disrupt any plaque and wipe the teeth clean. They don't need tooth paste quite yet. And it's not safe because they just swallow it.

Make it a game. I tell my kids, "let me see the sugar bugs" Then I say things like "OH, look that one is dancing...oh my I think that one waved at me...hello sugar bug"

Or I have tried playing the froggy game. I say "Ahomp, caught a fly. Now your turn, Ahomp you caught one too, yummy, OK again" Then you just quickly get in there and softly clean a little each time.

If they are just too young to understand then do it while they are sleeping with a warm wet rag or soft brush.

Answer 3

definitely it incredibly is strongly recommended to comb or wipe infant's gums. Early commence against teeth decay. With my first. i began out out with basically a wash fabric and water. Afterwards I used the finger brushes for infants. Then the newborn teeth paste which isn't mandatory in any respect. As my son have been given some tooth I switched from finger brushes to infant brushes.

Answer 4

My son just chews his toothbrush! Even though he won't let us get in there and do a good job, just letting him hold the brush, and put it in his mouth everyday is making progress. Once they get a bit bigger and you can reason with them (kinda) try taking turns. He brushes, then you brush his teeth...back and forth. At this point make sure you try every day to get him used to the idea...it'll come. My three year old is pretty good about brushing, and we did the same thing with her.

Next time you're at the dentist, ask for their advice on helping him learn.

Answer 5

I don't know if this will help, but it did for us. We bought several different cute tooth brushes, purchased some yummy flavored toothpaste, let out little guy pick out his toothbrush, sat him down and let him brush his own teeth. Once he is comfortable with the tooth brush he might let you teach him how to brush his teeth. Also, brush your teeth with him so he knows what to do!

Good Luck!

Answer 6

Your dr will tell you if your child absolutley not let you brush their teeth then give them a warm wash cloth and let them chew on it. Its the next best thing to a tooth brush. It dosent do as good of a job but it works. Eventually try giving him a tooth brush to hold and chew on.

Answer 7

i started brushing our kids teeth 2X's a day when they turned 3 months. that is when you can buy that kit that has the brush you put on your finger. so i have never had that problem(have plenty others though!lol!). try letting him brush them, see if he like that. or give him his toothbrush and let him watch you brush your teeth. you have probably already tried this, but that is all i can think of! good luck.

Answer 8

Wow you are REALLY behind the ball on this one! You should brush baby's teeth and gums starting REALLY early- more like 4-5 months especially since yours has so many teeth.

They make fingertip toothbrushes, I usually do my son's while he is the bathtub and he really enjoys it.

Answer 9

What worked for me was i would give my daughter my toothbrush to hold while i brushed her teeth with hers. Also let him watch when you brush your teeth. If he thinks its a grown up thing to do, he might want to try it. Use just water NO toothpaste! They'll just swallow it and it can poison them!

Answer 10

u don't need to brush it, just grab a clean cloth with warm water and carefully rub his gums.
when he gets to be 1 1/2 make a game out of brushing his teeth. do not use toothpaste though.