Toothbrushing | Imamother

persephonefalls

Mon, Jun 04 2012, 11:28 am

My 21-month-old daughter loves to brush her teeth. The problem is, she has a very different idea of what "tooth brushing" means than we do! She greatly prefers to brush by herself--but when she "brushes", she usually just chews on the bristles and sucks off the toothpaste. We are trying to teach her how to rub the brush on all her teeth, but it is a sloooow process.

We are perfectly capable of scooping her up, holding her still, and doing a quick brush around her mouth with the toothbrush to actually clean her teeth, but that usually infuriates her and makes her upset. Which can be kind of unpleasant (especially right before bedtime) but if it's necessary we are willing to do it.

So my question is, at this age, how important is it for her teeth to actually get brushed? Is toothbrushing about actual dental hygiene, or is it more about creating a good dental hygiene routine?

MrsDash

Mon, Jun 04 2012, 11:37 am

If she has teeth, she needs to have them brushed. If there are any teeth touching, she needs to also floss. What I did, and still do with my now 5 year old- I told her that after mommy or daddy does the brushing, then she can "brush" her teeth as well. That way I know she's getting a proper cleaning, and not swallowing tooth paste. But she still feels, and thinks she is doing the brushing like a "big girl." I also make a big deal with how "shiny and sparkly" her teeth look after brushing. (The flossing I still do. I'm afraid she'll cut her gums too much with the floss. I was told by the pediatric dentist to use the "one time use" floss sticks. I do, and they work very well.)