Hello!

My baby now 7 months old has 2 teeth and 3 more are coming through. Every time we try to brush her teeth she cries and closes her mouth really tight. We have used a baby toothbrush and washer still no success. Any suggestions would be great.


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  • I have always given mine there toothbrush to use them selves and then given a quick brush over after, we made it a game and I have been as far as sitting on my then 2 year old and making her giggle so i could get the toothbrush in lol, try not to make it such a big Drama it will happen in its own time.


  • definately distract them. tell them what you are doing and explain why. make a game of it and reward co-operation.


  • Both my boys hated having their teeth brushed so I did 4 things to help. 1- I gave them tooth brushes in the bath/shower to play with. 2 -I gave them teething gel before I brushed their teeth. 3 -I encouraged them to brush when I did mine. 4 -I used the good old wet face washer to clean their teeth until they got used to brushing.


  • you could give the tooth brush for her to play with and learn to get the feel for it herself and this might encourage her to brush her teeth and then you do the rest.


  • Speak to your dentist but i think it might be best not to worry too much at this stage as you could end up causing a paranoia where later on when she really needs to start looking after her teeth she wont bother and that will cause bigger problems then if you dont brush them at the moment.


  • It\’s possible that brushing is irritating her already swollen gums. During those earlier month I let my children play with their tooth brush, and chew on it. This helped them get used to the texture as well as getting used to having the brush in their mouth. As they weren\’t having a high sugar diet as we adults tend to brushing was not as necessary.
    I\’d try more natural alternatives, strawberries, if there is no allergies, are better at cleaning teeth than most toothpastes…


  • Hi there, when my kids were little, I used a damp face cloth to clean their teeth. The toothbrushes only came when they were older and could stand and gargle on their own. Don’t stress as I don’t we’d like it if someone forced toothbrushes in our mouths, :)


  • Put your child’s teeth cleaning on hold for now. If you push the point, it will only make the whole experience an unhappy one & that’s the last thing we need when establishing a healthy life-long habit. Let them see you happily cleaning your teeth and strategically leave their little toothbrush on a bench closeby. Guarantee that in no time, they will choose for themselves to join in the fun!


  • My son was the same after gaining his first tooth the day he turned 4 months and then ongoing teething until about 12 months. It sounds like your daughter is very tender in the mouth area at the moment (understandably). One tip that I got from the health nurses was to give bub a clean wet washer or very soft cloth, and just allow them to chew on it. Inadvertently, it will clean their teeth/gums! Hope this helps!


  • I just used a damp facewasher with no toothpaste when they were babies. Just very gently and don’t be too fussy. A quick little wipe is better than nothing and over quickly. My kids hated toothpaste when they were very young.


  • yes my advice is make a game. let her hold her brush nothing on it at first except moisture. You then get your toothbrush,paste and a bowl sit in front of her and clean your teeth happily, singing “this is the way we brush our teeth on a cold and frosty morning” spit out in bowl and sing “this is the way we get dirt out” rinse and spit in bowl repeat a few times


  • Most ;ittle ones dont like to brush their teeth. I find if you give them the toothbrush with a little toothpaste on it, they will put the brush in their mouth and eat the toothpaste. This way they are getting the idea what the brush is for.
    Frances


  • Allow you bub to chew on a baby toothbrush ( triangular shaped one that also has teething ring built in). They get used to having the brush in their mouth & this allows the Mum to assist cleaning the teeth in time. Musical toothbrushes as they get older will add fun to the brushing also.


  • I agree, still too young to force brushing teeth! What I do is make a song out of it! make funny noises like ch ch ch ch and they’ll usually giggle and get used to it. Let bub watch u brush your teeth


  • My son was also like that, but we thjought it was more because the toothbrush was a foreign thing and wasn’t fun. We got a baby tooth brush and included it with his teething toys. Then everytime he did chew on it, we’d make a big deal about him being such a big boy brushing his teeth. Took a little while but eventually he loved brushing his teeth, then it was a tough job getting him to stop! Good luck


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