Brushing 18 Month Old Daughters Teeth Is a Fight!

I have a similar problem with my 20 month old son. Sometimes if I let him watch me brush my teeth first and then I try to brush his he is more likely to cooperate. Most of the time I put one foot up on the toilet and set him on my leg so he's up off the ground and can't run away. I lean him back which he thinks is a riot and he'll open his mouth in a big smile so that I can brush those teeth! I have found that if I make it more of a game he lets me brush them than if I just say open up its time to brush your teeth. My suggestion is to find a way to make your daughter laugh and have a good time during brushing time and she'll stop fighting it so much. Good luck!

A couple of things that have worked for me. Seeing that she is so young and only has a few teeth you can try using a wash cloth to wipe her teeth off and only use a tooth brush once a day. When you brush her teeth ry singing the ABC's or something like that to keep her occupied. This has worked in the past for me as well as for a mom that I babysit for.
Good Luck!
Jenn

i had the same problem with my 20 mo old because she was also cutting new teeth. i ended up just "brushing" her teeth and gums with my finger. you are still getting the toothpaste in there and cleaning, but it isnt a hard brush against those sensitive gums. hope this helps

Hello,
Go to www.onestepahead.com they have Baby's 1st Toothbrush
My daughter is 3 and I got this for her when she was younger. She didn't like to brush her teeth either. She loved it.
The item # is 11279 it is $9.95 for two.

Here's what it says about it. This toothbrush feels so good! Dentist invented! Baby will enjoy biting down on this soft, patented toothbrush-and when she does, it will gently surround her teeth, cleaning all surfaces. It's soft, tiny bristles not only remove bacteria, they soothe tender gums. For 4 months and up.
*The tiny soft silicone bristles gently clean baby's teeth and gums through the natural act of biting.
*It helps reduce harmful bacteria, and remove sugars, starches, and other foods that can cause decay of primary teeth
* During the teething stage, the bristles also provide a comforting massage to baby's tender gums.

I'm sure your daughter will like this.
One Step Ahead has many other good things. I enjoy getting their magazine too.
I hope this helps:)

The most recent issue of Parents magazine addresses this struggle. I don't have it in front of me, or I would pass along the tips (but I will once I get my hands on it again).

I went through the same fight. We got an electric toothbrush and she LOVED it. We haven't had a battle since! Here is a suggestion - let your daughter see YOU use it first, then let her explore with it. Good Luck!!

Have you tried one of those musical/vibrating kids toothbrushes? You can get them at any grocery store. I know a few parents who swear by them. I figured I'll go out and get one if/when we start having this problem with our toddler! Good luck...

She's probably getting a little defiant like my son did at that age. I figured brushing his teeth was more important than his immediate happiness so I held him down and brushed his teeth while he screamed and fought. I did the same with diaper changes and medication. After a week or so he started to calm down and I made up a silly song about teeth brushing. Now he's fine with it. Sometimes there's nothing you can do to make them happy and you just have to force them. Otherwise I'm a pretty laid back mom.

My 15 month old sometimes fights getting her teeth brushed too. We practice throughout the day saying "aaah" and opening her mouth wide, and I ask her all the time to show me her teeth. Then in the morning when I am brushing mine, she sits on the toilet (lid closed of course) and plays with her tooth brush. When I'm done brushing my own teeth, I let her brush mine with my toothbrush, then she gives me her toothbrush and I try and brush hers. Sometimes we play a game where she opens her mouth and I see an animal in there. Kitties are her favorite. I tell her "Look a kitty in your mouth! Let me get it!" And then I use the toothbrush to brush it away. She thinks it's hilarious, especially if I make the animal sounds while I'm brushing them away. This same game also works for cleaning food off of her face after meals!

Hi A.,
My daughter is now 23 months old and brushing has ALWAYS been a battle for us too. She's a bit of a control freak and wants to do everything herself so we tried a bunch of stuff and we've found what works now is this. We give her the toothbrush, let her put the water on it, let her pretend to put baby toothpaste on it (and then we put it on). We tell her it's Lily's turn to brush while we slowly count to ten and then we say it's mama's turn and then she hands the brush to me and I count to ten while I'm brushing away all her food for the day. Eg. Bye bye green beans, bye bye chicken etc. We then let her rinse the brush off and put it back in it's spot.

It took a while but it gives her the feeling that she has control and she's fine with it now. Good luck and if your girl is anything like mine maybe this will work!

the only thing i can say is maybe dont force it on her. most kids like brushing there teeth, but if it hurts her then stop. at 18 months she doesnt have to brush them all like that. plus she doesnt have that many teeth to brush. wait until more grow in and then try again. there is this tooth paste that has a bubble gum flavor and they can swallow. its called stages! my daughter loves it!!! try putting something like that on her toothbrush and maybe she'll like doing it more often. good luck!!!

My son was the same way and still is sometimes. I found that if he stands on the stool in front of the sink like as if he was a big boy he behaves much better. He loves to play in the water so I leave the water at a trickle (it keeps him happy). I just brush his teeth real fast first "I tell him let momma do it first and then you can do it" and he normally lets me brush his teeth for like .5 seconds lol. Then I let him stand at the sink and "brush" his own teeth for a bit. Then I tell him "Let momma help you" and he will, just so I can get a final brush or two in. It really helps if you stay calm and playful. Getting frustrated only made my son clench his jaw and refuse to open his mouth or he would bite the brush! Good Luck I know how hard it can be.
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