How Do You Brush the Teeth of a Wiggly 16 Mo Old?

When my son is being difficult I get the fingertip toothbrush that you use when they are babies and brush with that. He will try to bite but will settle down. Then I give him his brush to finish. I would definitely recommend using the fingertip tooth brush- then you know his teeth will be clean. Good luck.

If he wants to do it, let him. Tell him he gets to do it first, and if he misses a spot, you get to finish. If he does it all right the first time, you don't have to help. Rationalizing with a 16 month old isn't always easy, but it can be done!

What I have done with my daughter since before she actually had teeth, was to get a toothbrush that had one of the character's she likes on it! Now I just ask "you want to go see cookie monster?" and she runs to the bathroom and lets me brush her teeth. It's an idea for you to use of not. It worked for me and hopefully it works for you. Best of luck!

Well, I had a hard one too. We started with the rubber finger brush and the baby gel early on, and that was fine until we actually had more teeth. I basically just fought my kid for 2 years, lots of biting and kicking. We went to the dentist for the first time, and got instructed on how to do it the proper way, and I was skeptical until we actually did it.

If you do it alone, you need a big enough blanket to swaddle arms and legs down tightly, and then do it in a quick and soothing a manner as possible.

If you have a partner to double team, get on the floor and hold the child's head gently but firmly in your lap, holding the arms down and crossing them on the child's chest so they can't push or hit. The partner pulls the kid's legs around the waist to keep them from kicking the face and chest, and leans in to brush the teeth, telling the child to "open up like at the dentist" and "show me your shiny, pretty teeth". With both of us praising her during the whole thing, it just became less and less traumatic. Phew. When we do it now, she chooses who does the brushing and yells "FASTER! SHINY!"

Sounds terrible to "hold down" a kid to do this, but it's a lot better than the way I was doing it, with my husband holding her down and my scrubbing as fast as possible between the screams, bites, and spitting. Also, we can do it really thoroughly, and the dentist taught us a quick technique to brush the sides and back, which was always a fight.

She likes to "do it" herself, but mainly gets the one molar and her teeth were becoming decalcified because we were giving up too often and letting her breastfeed to calm her down after the trauma of a toothbrushing.

I think the visit to the dentist really helped too, because she got to see other kids on the dental tables and opened her mouth and learned a few of the tools. She was really brave, and now brushing is actually 100% easier.

The dentist told us that we were really doing the right thing by forcing it, which always made me feel abusive and miserable and guilty. But when I saw the white lines in her teeth showing decalcifications, I got scared and firm. A few times with the combo hold and giving her the choice to have mommy or daddy do it, plus she is FINALLY used to the motorized hello kitty tooth brushes (which make it very quick and much easier to do all around), the whole thing is finally working at 30 months.

So don't give up, eventually your kid will smile, open his mouth, and let you brush the gunk off without a giant balls out fight. I seriously thought I'd be brushing teeth by force until she was six, but the dentist was right!

More tips: -let the child brush teeth in the AM, but make sure you do it thoroughly at night "You can do it in the morning, but Mommy has to do it at nigh, that's just the rules."
-If you can't do anything at all toothbrush-wise, wiping the teeth with a washcloth or a damp piece of gauze is better than nothing
-with the hold-down and brush technique, keep a damp cloth nearby so that you can wipe spit away and paste off the teeth
-if your kid can't handle toothpaste, it's okay to brush without, because they don't need the flouride as much as they need to disrupt the formation of plaque and bacteria
-don't give anything but water after brushing the teeth, not even breast milk
-buy a picture book about teeth, brushing, etc
-have your kid help you brush the dog's teeth (seriously. Lots of oohs and ahhhhs and "missed spot, mommy!")

We have noticed our daughter even likes to look in the mirror and view her shiny teeth nowadays, so the best tip is: don't give up!

Good luck!

I made up a song to sing to the tune of Row Row Row your boat. My six yr old still likes it...
Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them up and down, brush each and every one, brush them all around.
Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them front and back, brush each and every one, get rid of all the plaque.
Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them left and right, brush each and every one until they're shiny bright.
Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them bottom and top, brush each and every one until it's time to STOP!

I agree with most of the other posts. You basically need to hold the child down and brush the teeth. My first son fought for 2 years and now he's fine with teeth brushing. He does some himself and then I finish it off to make sure it's done right.

My other son who is almost 2 has been fighting. I pin him on the floor with his head between my knees and hold his arms with one hand. He is starting to fight less and sometimes he is letting me just do it without restraint.

Getting their teeth clean is an absolute priority. Pinning them down isn't mean. Letting their teeth yellow and decay is mean.

Both of my little guys have lovely white teeth and healthy gums. The 3-year-old even asks to brush his teeth sometimes because he wants them to be clean.

Good luck.

This may sound cruel but I used to lie my kids down on the floor and sit on them to brush their teeth. I called it "The Hard Way," as in, "are you gonna brush your teeth or do you want to do it the hard way?" But my kids now joke about it so I guess it didn't traumatize them too much, and it got the job done.

I also have a 16 month old son-I have been brushing his teeth since he was about 6 months old(he started getting teeth at 3 months)but he still puts up a bit of a fight every night when it's time to brush his teeth. I lay him down on the floor and let him hold his blankie-sometimes I have to use a finger to pry open his mouth to get in there to brush. And often times I have to be sharp with him when he struggles and tell him no, Mommy has to brush your teeth. Teeth brushing sessions with us don't last very long, but as long as I can get in there and brush for at least 10-15 seconds it helps.
I say even if your son fights you and even if you have to pin him down to brush his teeth, keep it up because eventually he will get the idea. I think my son knows that teeth brushing is part of getting ready for bed, and even though he does not like it, I would much rather him have a bit of discomfort than have rotting teeth at such a young age. Good luck!

Hi A.,I took my son to his first dental appt @ 12 mos. The dentist is a specialist in pediactric dentistry and he was very thorough and easy to talk to. He showed me this trick that we MUST use almost every night otherwise my son will not brush either. Here goes;
I sit on the floor with me legs spread like scissors. Since we usually brush right after the bath I use my sons towel to do the 'burrito wrap' it's like a baby swaddle so his arms are snug in the towel. I lie him down on his back but with his head direclty in between my thighs so his legs are sprawled out the same direction as mine. He usually opens up his mouth if I let him taste the toothpaste on his brush first, but sometimes I actually have to use my finger to open his jaw by placing it down the cheek-line and to the back of the gums where there are no teeth (watch out! I've been bitten if my finger is too close to the teeth) I am pretty much always able to get a good brushing in and I even floss his teeth because they have no gaps, therefore food can get trapped & cause cavaties. We've been doing this for 7 months and it works for us. It probably sounds worse than it really is-lol

If the towel doesn't work I've also placed me legs over his arms (in the same position as noted above) but that is still a little harder to do than the burrito.

My husband is not home @ night so I have to do it myself but the dentist recommended that it's a lot easier if you have 2 adults sit on chairs facing each other and knees touching. Have one adult lie the child on their lap so that his head is upside down on your lap. The other adult wraps the legs around there waist and crosses the arms and holds them still. This is how my dentist does his exams and it works fabulous. Good luck!

My son is 18 months old and we started when he was younger, brushing his teeth for him. That was hard, but with time he knew that it was going to happen, so he would just sit there. We would just put him on the counter, and brush them. Since he was about 14 months old, we have been letting him brush his own teeth when we change his diaper and then once his diaper has been changed and he is dressed, it is mommy's turn to brush his teeth. He does such a good job at brushing, and we praise him for that. Good luck, but I think taking turns and the timer ideas might work. good luck.

If you have not yet allowed him to pick out a fun tooth brush, try that. It could be the tooth paste he does not like. My kids like Toms of Maine for babies and kids. Try saying the alphabet as you move over his teeth trying to get through A-Z. If all that fails you simply have to get it done. I was much younger when I had my first and he had a few teeth decay for the same problem. He had to have the teeth removed and wait until he adult teeth grew in. It was awful! Do not allow your child to drink juice or fall asleep with a bottle. That was another one of my problems.
Good Luck!

My older daughter has always been a big fan of doing things herself, too. I will never forget her being about your son's age and insisting, "I DO BY MYSEF!" So, I made a deal with her. I brought our trusty egg timer into the bathroom and set it for 1 minute and let her have at it. Then when the timer went off, it was my turn. This way, she got pretty good at brushing her teeth over time, and I made sure that all the surfaces of her teeth got clean. Also I let her rinse and spit (fun!) by herself.

If he won't let you brush, even after he has had his turn, then I agree with the other moms, you have to do whatever you have to do to get his teeth clean. Getting cavities and having his little teeth drilled will be a lot worse than holding him down to brush.

I was holding my 15 month old son's face while brushing. He hated it. Eventually, I decided that I didn't want to make it a negative experience for him.

What I do is I tell him that "mama do first for 10 seconds. Then Owen do." I think it helps him know that he gets to have control and "his turn" in a finite amount of time. So I count while I brush for "5 seconds" on the bottom and then the top. I count a little slowly, so it's probably more than 10 seconds. I don't know if it's enough time, but at least he enjoys it and he is calm and cheerful. Then he gets a kick out of grabbing the toothbrush out of my hands when I say "TEN!!". It's like a game for him. That and I'm teaching him patience and delayed gratification.

That can be tricky. I would let him hold the toothbrush and brush himself first. Let him know that he can brush with it first and if he misses any spots, you will do the rest.

Best of luck!

L.

I have a 13 month old and he loves brushing his teeth. I got him an electric toothbrush from babies r us and he goes to town. I let him do it by himself. He will sit there for ten minutes brushing his teeth. He only has four teeth, but he gets them brushed.
R.

What worked for us was to lay our son on his back on the counter. That way he couldn't move around too much and you get a good look at the insides of his teeth too!

I always let my son brush his teeth himself first and then finish off for him. Good luck!

C.

I use a finger cot to clean my 11 mo olds teeth first then let him play with the actual toothbrush. With the finger cot you can feel each tooth and at least get a little cleaning done. Although you have to be careful because my boy will try to bite occassionally. Ouch!

Hi A.,

I suggest putting him in his highchair and then give him one toothbrush and you have another. Take turns brushing and you can even put a little music on that you start/stop as you go-- turn it into a game and then they want to hear more music, so they brush their teeth or let you do it. Good luck!!!

Hi A.,

I work for Pediatric Dentistry of Pleasant Hill.

Here are some suggestions. Let your son brush first, then say it is Mommy or Daddy's turn. Or you do first and tell him he will have his turn next. It is fine to use only a wet toothbrush if he doesn't like toothpaste. If you do use toothpase use just a tiny bit-pea size. You can brush his teeth on the sofa with his head in your lap. This works well too...and did with my kids...parent sits on the edge of the bathtub or toilet with the child between your legs and their back to you. Lean the head back and brush. Even though he may resist, it is really important to brush anyway, especially after the last food/drink of the day. It is worth the fight to prevent decay. Just know, eventually (hopefully soon) it will get better. Trying to make a game out of it like you are doing is great.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first checkup by the first birthday. You may want to check out our website phkidsdentist.com for links to informative websites regarding pediatric dentistry.

Good luck!
N.

I didn't read all of the previous responses in their entirety (too many!) so forgive me if this is redundant. What has been helpful for us is to brush our son's teeth while he's on the changing table (he's 20 months). I'm able to hold his top lip up while I get a good scrub (you can have more leverage than when they are sitting or standing and pulling their head back - the pad of the changing table holds them in place!). Then he's able to "brush" his teeth himself while I change his diaper.

We also sing a silly song while we brush. My husband made up a toothbrushing song using the Elmo tune (La la la la, la la la la, brush your teeeeeth, etc.). I, however, sing the brusha brusha song from Grease when I do it :o)

So..let him hold the toothbrush. Let him brush his own teeth and continue to brush your teeth with him. He'll learn the technique and there will be less fighting because of it. Independence seems to be the key here. Show him by example and soon he'll be wanting to use mouthwash as well (diluted, in his own bottle). Remember, independence is the key. Children are growing very rapidly and so is their independent skills and learn much quicker by example rather than having it done for them. He's telling you that he's a big boy and wants to do it himself. Of course, at first, there will be toothpaste all over his mouth, shirt maybe, but he's learning. You're doing a great job or he wouldn't be advancing to this independent state.

Dr B.

I'd have to agree with those who say let him brush them himself first, then you get a turn. The fight is clearly about him wanting to do it and as long as he's not chewing on the brush ... let him. But you get a turn too.

If he won't agree to letting you get a turn after he's done brushing .. hold him down and do it anyway. The way I did it with my daughter who fought me on brushing was I sat on the floor with her head at the top of my thighs, put my thighs over her arms and my calves over her legs. When she would try to clamp her teeth shut ... then I'd press on her jaw joint. Not too hard .. just enough to get her to open.

She doesn't even remember it now ... so I guess it wasn't all that traumatic for her.

Have you tried on of those tooth brushes that vibrate or sing a song? We sort of make it a game everynight with my son (3) and his big sister (6). I also have been very descriptive of the agonies of the dentist and that there is no goodies for kids who don't brush..that could be anything..cookies, juice, graham crackers, fruit. To be honest, I didn't do brushing until mine were two. But that is just me!

If you have another child have him or her brush their teeth with yours. Even invite a neihbor child (with consent of Mom) to be the teacher. Praise the other child after the brushing. Tell them how beautiful their teeth look. Little children are competitive. A younger child will copy from an older one or another of the same age.

Have you tried a battery powered toothbrush, some kids like that... some even play music? Have you tried letting him brush and then you following up? I am a dental hygienist and I have seen many kids who are like this, it can definitely be a challenge. Make sure he has routine check ups to make sure there is no decay. If you use a little on the non-fluoridated toothpaste which tastes good to kids maybe he will like brushing his teeth too. He is still a bit young, but in the future bribery or reward systems work.
H. :)

Hi.I would suggest that you buy an electric toothbrush.They are much more effective & for the short period of time your son allows you to brush it will do a better job.Then give the toothbrush to him & guide him while he's brushing his own teeth.I hope my advice is helpful. :)

make it a family event! Let him do it. Something is better than nothing. Get the whole family in the bathroom and show him how you all do it and how he is supposed to do it.It worked for mine. If it doesn't work for yours buy a finger toothbrush and be prepared for bite marks.

Since he wants to do it himself, let him! He'll get most of the "sugar bugs" out just swishing the brush around. You can show him how you want him to do it, and then with with a mouthful of water, and a spit, the task will be done without hassles. If he hasn't done the job to your satisfaction, you can give him extra help. Don't worry about the yellowing teeth--that could be genetic--and they're baby teeth, so they'll fall out. Don't stress :)

give him the toothbrush.....
brush your own teeth while he watches....
They always want to do it themselves....
Gramma

I have a 17-month-old so I can definitely relate! What we have found is that if we let our daughter have the toothbrush to do her own "brushing" after we brush her teeth that works well. Granted, there are times that we have to hold her down but we've found that as we've been consistent about letting her have some time at the end, she gives us time at the beginning. Hope this helps.

I've always taken turns with my children. I tell them it's my turn first and then for the evening brush I let my child do it. They have a cartoon toothbrush and their own kid toothpaste. I noticed they now even have musical toothbrushes that shut off when the child is done.

Our daughter flat out refused to brush at that age, so
we would lay her on the bed, put her head over the edge, and tickle her, then we would brush her teeth while she
laughed. Maybe let him do his own version of brushing, and then go over them your self with his brush again once
he is done. Also, I take a toothpick and scrap off areas
around the gums and show them what they missed, and have
them rebrush. It's a good idea for him to get used to holding his own brush. Flavor of toothpaste was a big deal at that age to. The mint ones were to spicy for the kids, we had to buy bubblegum kid stuff for her instead.

Dr. Adolfo Barrera is just great!!! He is on the corner of Moorpark and Bascom in San Jose. You might want to see this dentist and get your son started on seeing a dentist. He may have some ideas for you on how to brush your son's teeth. He is very kid friendly - both of my son's have gone to him for years.

Hi A.,
I thought my son's teeth were turning yellow at 12 months old and brought him to a pediatric dentist. She said his teeth were in good shape, no cavities, no discolouring. But it scared me into brushing his teeth whether or not he liked it.

Fortunately, at that visit, they gave my son a toothbrush for babies. It was bright red and shaped like a horseshoe with a crossbar. He LOVED that thing and we praised him every time he put it in his mouth. He liked to watch us brush our teeth, so when we included him into tooth brushing with his very own toothbrush, he got excited about brushing his teeth.

Our routine is this: I give him vitamins and then put on a smock to keep him drier than he would otherwise be. He pulls me into the bathroom giggling, slams the door shut, and tries to pull out the step stool. I help him up, turn the water on at a trickle and hand him his toothbrush. I help him put on a dab of fruit flavoured, non fluoridated baby toothpaste on the brush. He sucks it off and "brushes his teeth." I let him do it himself. While he brushes his teeth, I actually go ahead and brush my own teeth while I have the chance. He likes to watch me and he pretends to spit into the sink. After a minute he's done brushing and wants to play with the water. I finish brushing at my own leisurely pace to give him a chance to play. Then I put more paste on his brush and tell him to say "ah." He drops his mouth open and I get a couple swishes in before he clamps down and tries to chew. I remove the brush, he plays in the water, I say, "Say ah," and get a couple swishes in before he clamps down. It's a little bit time consuming and very annoying for me at times. But it gets the job done. He's having fun. He's not fighting me. He's not traumatized.

Give him the brush and have him make his own mad dog (lather up make sure he can see in a mirror - and have fun! )

I don't remember which movie that was from, but it's worked with us.

The idea is to get them used to the idea - perfection really isn't as important as participation.

At drug stores you can buy a soft baby toothbrush that fits over your index finger. My kids loved it when I "brushed" their teeth and gums. I wouldn't use any tooth paste, but would dip the thing in Scope sometimes (because it doesn't burn). Good luck.

My son just turned two but I remember having the same problem when we first started teeth brushing. We began making a routine out of it, being very consistent. It took a little while because he wanted the tooth brush. We always make him sit down in the bathroom while he is brushing his teeth. (I also let him play with his tooth brush during the day, if he wants, but he has to sit down in the bathroom. And he only plays "brushing his teeth.") I first told him that he could brush and then it was mommy's turn to brush his teeth. I'd let him brush but make him sit down and when he seemed done I would say "mommy's turn" and I brush them real quick. As we got used to Mommy having a turn, I began telling him that mommy got to go first. I would tell him the whole time I was brushing his teeth, Mommy and then Noe, so he would know his turn was next. Now we tell him to open his mouth and say "Ahhhh" and he does just fine. He still really likes to brush his own teeth too but I always get "a turn."
You could also try letting him hold a tooth brush while you brush is teeth with a different one. Never tried it but just an idea.
I hope this helps. I know it's hard when they don't quite understand things fully yet. But the more you repeat things the more they begin to really understand.

With my kids same problem so I'd pick them up and held them
upside down like a game ( like your dipping them)they laugh and think it's fun too! and brush fast!!
Eventually they do it themselves and in our home we make teeth brushing a family affair all our brushes are in the same draw.

Have fun with it!
L. A
Mom of(2)and(4)year old
:)

Have you tried using two toothbrushes? One for you and one for him.

Hi A.!

Hey I had a couple of those wiggle-worms, too!
Believe it or not, what helped me, was to use a timer. I had a timer with sand, so they could watch it, and one that beeped so it could be "heard". I used those timers for everything, including brushing teeth. For some reason it worked. At least most of the time. I would usually have to "split" the brushing time with my boys. "First mommy, then you can brush" I would say.
I would set the timer for 20 seconds for me to use first, only because it's a speedy amount of time and had to earn "trust".
I used those timers for everything. Cleaning up toys, for them to eat (when I was in a hurry), their favorite show is coming on, bedtime, we're going to the doctor....anything!
I even used the sand timer for Potty training, too :0) I could never get my busy-butt-boys to sit down long enough for "anything to happen". So, I used the sand timer for them to "watch" the sand go down because then they could take a break after ALL the sand went down. Hey, I at least got them to sit on the potty for 3 minutes!
Anyway, try a timer. It may work like a charm!

Oh yea...I also used to sing the "ABC song" everytime they had to wait for something. Maybe it could be your son's turn to brush his teeth after mommy is done "singing the ABC song"

Good luck :0)
N.

Hi A.,
I am a mother of a 2 1/2 yr old daughter and also a dental professional of 17+ yrs. My daughter did the same thing at that age and I ended up holding her down and brushing them even though she didn't want me to. It may seem mean, but it is more important that their teeth are being properly brush than doing what THEY want. It won't be the last time you make you child do something they don't want to do and I feel it is a power struggle you should win. It will get easier once he realizes that he has no choice. I would tell my daughter that I was sorry Mommy had to hold her down, but I HAD to brush her teeth and it would be easier for both of us if she would hold still. I know it sounds mean, but a child is unable to get their teeth clean enough on their own for several years and it is very important to keep those baby teeth clean and free of cavities. It is also not a good idea to let them chew on a toothbrush much as is can cause injury to their gums. Early childhood caries is on the rise and sets up a lifetime dental issues. Remember, YOU are the parent and as my daughter says, the "boss". I'm sorry if this sounds preachy, I just hate to see children with cavities that could have been prevented with good oral hygiene and diet. Trying to work on children who have never been taught how to hold still and open their mouths is very difficult and can cause them more trauma than holding them still for a few months as an infant/young toddler. The positive is that it is really easy to brush all their teeth when they are protesting.
~L.

This was a challenge with both my kids:)

We always get our turn first, then they get to have their turn. I think having two toothbrushes is a good idea, so they can hold one while you are brushing.

Remember to talk about why you are doing stuff too - regardless of how much your son speaks, he understands more words than you realize!

Good luck!

A musical tooth brush, bought at wal- mart for about $8.00

Let him brush by himself first, then ask for your turn. Or vice versa. Or maybe try one of those battery operated toothbrushes for little ones. Good luck.