Need Advice - Chattanooga, TN

I am a dental hygienist and i am always telling moms not to worry about it...yes, a toothbrush with water is fine, especially if she can drink some water with fluoride each day. Also, you may want to let her pick out one of the character battery operated toothbrushes...those are great...they have sponge bob, princesses, etc. that should get her into it, but she'll get over the taste thing. at her age, children rarely get any buildup like adults on their teeth. Right now its just forming a good habit!!!

Try using less toothpaste or, if she'll spit, see if she'll let you brush then she can spit it out...either the stuff with fluoride or without. Check with your pediatrician and she what he/she recommends about the age to use fluoride. I'm sure water is just fine.

I would say stick to it. Your child has to learn that it is important to brush their teeth. You are the parent and they are the child. If you don't enforce it then they will feel like you don't care either way when that isn't the case. You can let them know they can be a big kid and brush their own teeth or you will go into baby mode and brush it for them but either way the teeth will get brushed. Also you can buy them a big kid toothbrush and let them pick their own toothbrush and toothpaste, but let them know if they pick it they have to promise to use it. That's a fun way to teach them to be independent. I hope that this helps and works. It worked with my 5 year old.

It is perfectly fine for her to brush her teeth with just water for now!! Your dentist should even tell you that. The brush is what does the cleaning not the toothpaste. Good luck and God bless.

Hi! My hubby is a dentist so I consulted him on this question! He said that children's toothpaste is really more for taste because it has very little flouride in it [that's what makes it safe to swallow]. So brushing with water is perfectly fine. He also said that you should also be sure she is drinking some tap water (or bottled water fortified with flouride) everyday. If it makes you feel better, we had to struggle with our daughter for about 2 months about brushing her teeth... she hated the entire process no matter what we did. Thankfully, that has passed. Hope this helps :)

I copletely understand. I have been there myself. I have four boys and I have recently found a toothpsste that they love the taste of, both with flouride and without so I can give it to my seven year olds and my three year old and my sixthteenth month old and they all love the taste. However, not only I have able to find this toothpaste, I have also been able to replace their other personal products such as bath products and these products have been made with natural ingredients and toxic-chemical free. If you would like some informatin on this store, please contact me at www.workathomeunited.com/myfoursons. I hope this helps you.

G.

My daughter refused to use any of the "kid" toothpastes. She said that they tasted "yucky". It did not matter what character was on the tube. I finally resorted to contacting all the toothpaste manufacturers to see if they had something that did not have a flavor - have you tasted the fruity bubble gum (I would not want to use it either). They don't. Not enough people have requested it. I told her that it was important that she brushes so she decided that she would use my toothpaste. I checked with the dentist and this was fine. Maybe if you "share" yours with her, she would brush.

You know this may not help but this is what I would do if it were me. I wouldn't push. Pushing can make them rebel more. I would make sure that I brushed my teeth in front of her everytime. I would even do it more than normal just to do it in front of her. Just make sure she sees but don't say a word. Then after a few days or a week, I would conveniently leave the tooth paste and her toothbrush so she could put her own toothpaste on it herself and brush them herself. I wouldn't make a big deal of it... just let her go at her own pace. I give my 1 yr old a toothbrush right now and put toothpaste on it now... just barely enough to see... just so she can get the taste and let her chew on it in the bathtub or during the day... and let her watch me brushing so that when that time comes, I have that covered. But for you..... I would try letting her watch me... even it meant I had to brush 5 times a day. I would probably kind of exaggerate how good that made me feel and then leave hers out to experiment with. If she gets toothpaste on the floor.... no big deal, just buy more and wipe it up. It won't take long and then you can start teaching careful habits of getting the toothpaste out. If you don't want to take it that far, put a very tiny bit on her toothbrush and set it out for her where she can reach it. Let her do it in her own time. That will give her some independence along with "tricking" her into brushing. Usually kids mock what you do. They want to do what you do. Like I said, it may not help but its worth a try. You don't have anything to lose but a messy bathroom floor or sink.
However, if that doesn't work, water has flouride in it and for babies it should be enough right now. Whatever you do, I wouldn't make a big deal of it. That could cause more harm than good.
Let me know if you try it and if it works.
Good Luck, M. T

My son won't use most toothpastes because he says they are 'hot' its the mint i guess. the only toothpaste he'll use is the kind i let him pick out for himself and 99% of the time he gets the kids toothpaste fruit flavored it has spongebob squarepants on the tube. usually the pastes with the cartoons on them will do the trick lol

Brushing with water is much better than not brushing at all. I'm not quite sure what those sweet-flavored toothpastes accomplish anyway since they don't contain fluoride. Maybe too as she gets a little older, her tastes will change and she'll end up liking one of the flavored ones.

Have you tried contacting a pediatric dentist for ideas?

I would not let her use your flouridated toothpaste. Swallowing fluoride is not good for anyone, especially at that young age.

Have you tried the Grins & Giggles infant tooth and gum cleanser? I think you find it in the infant section and NOT the toothpaste section. It is made by Gerber. That is what I still use on my 20 month old granddaughter. It has a VERY MILD taste. I'm sure that if you have tried everything, just using water is better than nothing. Sure hope you find something that works.

I recently took my three year old to a pediatric dentist and was surprised when the hygenist told me it was OK to use fluoridated toothpaste, even if my child wasn't good about spitting it out, as long as I used a tiny amount - a "smear" - on the toothbrush. I would recommend asking your own pediatrician or dentist, and if they say the same thing, then you can try different flavors of toothpaste as long as you use very tiny amounts.