How can I get my 15 month old to brush her teeth?

Question

My daughter is 15 months and we have been struggling to peacefully brush her teeth! We have tried all kinds of toothbrushes and wipes and washcloths... but she has a fit! She is a very even tempered and calm baby who is easy going to WONDERFUL... except when we need to clean her teeth!

Answer 1

Get a soft fun brightly colored toothbrush, and let her play with it.
Eventually, she will put it in her mouth, and then you can start giving it to her in the bathroom when you brush your teeth. The 20 month age is when they really start to copy everything you do, so by then, she'll have her own toothbrush, she'll know what to do with it, and then after you brush your teeth, pick her up and hold her in the mirror, wet the toothbrush and gently brush hers. You wont' do a good job right away, but work up to doing the front, and then the chewing surfaces, and she'll probably like sticking her tongue out at the end to brush her tongue. Good luck.

Answer 2

I remember one of my relatives present her child with a gift which was a nice toothbrush and toothpast in a fancy cup all wrapped in a little basket with a ribbon, and with a little tiny alarm clock. She would have the alarm set for a minute or two and showed her daughter how she had to brush her teeth till it rang and then switch it off by herself. It worked wonders! Some people use a oven timer too!

Answer 3

My daughters were the same way when we tried to brush their teeth. We would always make a game out of it and when we were done we would praise them and give them a treat(nothing sugary ofcourse). Something like a whistle or a pair of .50 cent sunglasses(kids love those). Just something fun that she loves to do. I did it with mine and it worked great they still brush their teeth religously(12 & 14). Hope this helped.

Answer 4

Fifteen months is kind of young to brush her teeth by herself. You might try making a game, and brushing your own teeth at the same time, like "See how Mommy brushes her teeth! Bet you can't do that!" There are lots of cute toothbrushes and toothpastes for little kids. Good luck!

Answer 5

Lots of smiles and reinforcement.

Whenever I brush my daughter's teeth, I smile and say things to her such as "Oh so pretty, you're tooth is so pretty now... Lets try the next one." Just make a couple brush strokes on each side until she gets more comfortable with it.

Make it a fun and pleasureable experience, and later she'll enjoy it.

Answer 6

I think they have toothbrushes now that play music :-) I think they are called Tooth Tunes.

Just be sure you use a toothpaste that has no fluoride....kids that age tend to swallow the paste and the fluoride is not good for them when swallowed like that.

Answer 7

I suggest u to buy a very cute toothbrush for her. Buy colour toothbrush and fruity toothpaste to attract her attention. Im sure she will love it.

Answer 8

When me brother was little, he didn't like to clean his teeth, so my mom bought a toothpaste that tastes like gum. I think is called "Colgate for kids", It has many shiny things inside and like little stars :) and it tastes good. So try to find a toothpaste that fits her taste. Be patient, she will get used to it.

Good Luck!

Answer 9

At her age you should still be brushing her teeth for her. I would give my kids a chance to do it themselves and then I would say, "OK, mama's turn!" and finish it off. I know it can be very frustrating but try to stay upbeat and positive!

Answer 10

I would say she is several years too young to brush her own teeth. If you are trying to brush her teeth yourself, you might try different flavors of toothpaste.