Tooth Brushing

My little one hates brushing her teeth, she screams every time we try. She occassionally lets us brush her teeth but without any tooth paste, but she is getting bad breath, can anyone recommend any tooth paste or natural methods to get rid of her mouth odour? My little one will be 3 in September so she is eating proper food!!

interesting thread - i am eager to await others to reply. I have some problems with my 2 year old. She refuses to open her mouth at all, not when I am brushing alongside her, not when we use fruit flavoured toothapste, not when I invented a toothbrushing song to sing along, and not even with bribes of Elmo or TV or stickers etc. She ahs bad breath too cos she eats meat like nobody's business....

Do a search for this. There were some good ideas not too long agao about how to help you brush your little one's teeth.

My eldest son, 3 years old, didn't like to brush his teeth also. Because of this, a few months ago his gum was swollen and bleeding until I brought him to see a paediatric dentist. The dentist said it was gingivitis as a result of improper oral hygiene. On the top of antibiotic given by the dentist, he also said that the only thing that could cure and prevent my son to have gingivitis again is to brush his teeth.


After the gingivitis experience, I never negotiate anymore if my son refused to let me brush his teeth. Like mummybee, I tried many ways to coax him having his teeth brushed, e.g. bribed him with sticker, praised him, etc-etc. None of them worked, and finally I needed to force him. I asked my son lied down on my laps, held his head with my left hand, and brushed his teeth with my right hand.


He complained and cried for the first few times. At that time, I kept telling him, if he didn't want me to brush his teeths, he would need to go back to the dentist with the swollen gum. He obeyed and now brushing teeth is a fun family routine for us. Every morning and night, my husband and I with my eldest son brush teeth together in the bathroom. My youngest son sits on the floor watching us, and I will brush his teeths too after I finished mine.


Btw, I use 'Firsth Teeth Baby Toothpaste' (made in US) for my sons. It's fluoride free and safe to swallow.

I meant to say, do a search here on asiaxpat. There's a few threads on this.

Teeth brushing ought not to be negotiable! as Cinnsim said, your little one can do it your way or the easy way. And get some of those disclosing tablets with the red stain to show your child where the teeth are not being brushed properly!

don't worry about being too firm on brushing. our son needed 4 cavities filled when he turned three becasue we weren't firm enough on brushing. it required general anesthesia and $2500 USD. we also had his teeth sealed at this time. it was terrible. now we brush twice a day no matter what. don't let your kid grow to fear the dentist because you are too nice...we use the Tom's silly strawberry toothpaste, other's were "too spicey" beware of kids toothpaste containing sacchrin. let the child pick out their own toothbrush at the store and always brush their teeth again once they have finished.

Below is a link on 'how to get toddler to cooperate when we brush his teeth'


http://www.babycenter.com/expert/toddler/toddlerills/todtooth/14178.html

Try letting your child do some of the brushing, it makes them feel invloved. Also try some yummy toothpaste like Lavera Strawberry-Raspberry from 360. My 20 month-old son loves to brush his teeth as I brush mine and always wants more toothpaste.

Thanks everyone for your helpful advise, we continue to battle!