How Do I "Brush" My 12-Month Old's New Teeth?

I don't know if it's the right thing or not, but I let my son brush his own teeth. He's 14 mo now but around his 1st birthday we got him one of those baby toothbrushes with the toothpaste in the package. He loves to brush his teeth so much that he trys to brush them every time he wakes up from a nap! I think at this age it's about getting them into the habit and letting them have a little independence. This is something he can do that his big sister does and mom and dad do. I makes him feel more grown up.
(By the way the brushing isn't really brushing, It's putting the tooth brush in and out of his mouth and tasting the toothpaste, etc)

The little rubber thing is nice when they're teething but not biting too hard. Even if he is chewing on it, he is rubbing his gums and teeth against the 'nubs' on it and potentially rubbing away sugars.

Our son loves toothbrushes and he found this love just by imitating me. When he was younger, I was such a worry-wart that I even took him into the bathroom with me in the morning when I would brush my teeth (because he was just starting to walk and I wanted him contained while I finished getting ready). Me brushing my teeth became this silly game that held his attention and made him laugh and laugh. I'd open my mouth so he could see the foam, make silly faces, etc. Pretty soon he started snatching my toothbrush from me and tried shoving it in his mouth. Next time we went to the grocery store, I bought a new toothbrush for me and a new baby toothbrush for him and now we 'brush' our teeth together. Of course his doesn't have any toothpaste on it (18 months), but he knows what the toothbrush is for.

Try brushing your teeth in front of him to see if he catches on and tries to imitate you. Buy several toothbrushes in case he tries to brush his hair with it or drops it on the floor of the bathroom. Eventually he'll get the hang of it, and when it is time to really start brushing the teeth it might not be a chore!

Good luck - it's really funny and cute when they imitate this!

My 13 m.o. has 12 (!) teeth, so we've been brushing since about 9 months or so. We say it's time for "brushie, brushie" and she immediately puts her fingers in her mouth and rubs her teeth back and forth. I used to hold her in my arms and use the plastic finger thing just with water. Now she sits on the toilet and I have a stage 1 brush and baby toothpaste. She opens up and moves her mouth around as I get all 12 teeth. She also likes to make funny noises -- she'll go "aaaahhh" as we're doing it and it sounds like gargling as we move the brush around. She hasn't expressed any interest in holding the brush herself, so I'll continue to do it until she does. With 12 teeth and a bottle before bedtime, I want to make sure the teeth are actually getting hit!

My son is 15 months and I bought him a Stage 1 toothbrush, they have them everywhere, and some baby toothpaste with no flouride. I try to brush his teeth and then he takes the toothbrush and plays with it. I can usually get a few good swipes in first though. He started watching me brush my teeth and now when I say "let's brush your teeth!" He comes in to the bathroom with his mouth wide open (or he runs and hides depending on his mood). Most of the time he lets me, but sometimes he just clamps down on it with his teeth.

Hi A. - I used to wipe down my 12 month old daughter's teeth (she only has two) and gums with a washcloth. A few weeks ago I asked for opinions from Moms on this site about teething relief ideas, and a lot of Moms said that their kids love toothbrushes so last week I bought a pack of red cross baby toothbrushes, and now she brushes them herself and loves it. It really must feel good on her gums. I wet it and give it to her after meals and before bed and she brushes and chews away.

Never to early to start a good habit! :-)

A., I agree with the women who works in the dental office, dont let your son fall asleep with the bottle of milk. I made that mistake with my first son who is now 9. When he was 2 I had to spend alot of money at the peds dental office. He had bottle rot on his front top teeth. Thankfully he has only had 1 cavity since then. Falling asleep with a bottle at night can cause alot of problems for your sons teeth. I also do agree with the rubber finer or a very soft toothbrush and letting him play with it in his mouth and then showing him how to brush. I dont know now but when my boys where little the drs said no toothpaste but it might have changed...my boys are 9 and 6 lol...Good luck and have fun.

You can use that little blue brush that you put on your index finger. My 16 mo old has used a regular baby toothbrush with a little training toothpaste. I let her start off by just playing with the toothbrush while we brushed our teeth and now get a few good brushes in before I hand it over to her. the other thing she likes is standing on a little stool we have for her in the bathroom next to us to make her feel like she is really participating.

I second the stage 1 toothbrush. It's got a compact head and really soft bristles. The kids brushes are too stiff and the heads are too large for toddlers. Look for Spry infant gel to use as your toddler's toothpaste. It is made of Xylitol which eliminates decay causing bacteria. You can order it online at www.dentist.net

Please, PLEASE brush your child's teeth on a regular basis. Early childhood caries are a real issue. Formula left on the teeth can aggravate decay (breastmilk is still under debate). My son had an enamel defect where his tooth came in with a small ridge. I was not stressing about brushing his teeth since he had a good diet, drank water regularly, and did not fall asleep with a bottle, only to learn that he developed a cavity in his front tooth, no less, by 16 months. We halted the decay with a HealOzone treatment and have been working to remineralize the tooth with MI paste and a Fuji filling.

You can buy an extra toothbrush for your toddler to brush your teeth with as you brush his (or before or after). Just make sure to do a thorough job yourself. Brushing teeth is just another fact of life. He may not like it but it has to be done. Just because a toddler doesn't like his diaper changed, doesn't mean his mama will leave him in a dirty diaper!

You can get some "toothpaste" at the store that usually comes with the finger brush. Orajel makes one and there is no flouride in it but that is what I used for both my babies. It must taste good because my 2nd just wants to suck on the finger brush with an occasional bite as well.

hi A., i work at a dental office and i'll give you advice. the rubber brush is okay, just make sure you get a paste that says for babies. i believe at target they have some for his age and it's made by oral gel. Also i would play and show him to brush, make it like a game or something that way he'll start letting you brush his teeth. By the way at night do not leave him with milk, that can cause cavities. just give him water. hope my advice was helpful enough.

Hey A.,
I'v started using the Redcross Toothbrushes with water with my 4 month old - I made the mistake of not introducing the toothbrush early with my first child and didn't want to go through the same pain again. My 4 month old now enjoys having the toothbrush gently rubbed over his gums. I'm not entirely sure when they say you should introduce toothpaste.

I held my son in front of the mirror so he could see us brushing his teeth. We always do mommy's turn then his turn so I can make sure some actual brushing occurs. As he's gotten older, he now sits on the toilet seat & my turn consists of singing 2-3 songs while he lets me brush, then he brushes for a couple songs.

A.,

I have a general dentistry practice in Franklin Park. Using a clean damp washcloth or the rubber finger brush is what I recommend. I write a monthly article in the Fra Noi an Italian-American newspaper. If you contact my office, I have articles that I can send you on various dental topics for children and adults. My office # is ###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Dr. D. R. Pietrini