Brushing Teeth of 18 Month Old

Well its usually said that until a child is about three or four years old, they aren't going to be able to do an adequate job at brushing their own teeth.

Sometimes singing during activities can help a lot - so that's good that you're doing that. I sing a song to my 21 month old to the tune of "row row your boat":

Brush, brush, brush your teeth
morning, noon, and night
toothpaste and a toothbrush
does the trick
keeps our teeth clean and bright

I talk to her about what areas of her mouth I'm cleaning also. "lets get the top right... now the top left... okay now lets get your tongue. Go ahhhh." I figure that way, when she is old enough to do it on her own, maybe she'll remember which spots to hit.

I know theres also a mouthwash for older kids that they can use before brushing. It puts a blue tint on the plaque on their teeth, that way they have to brush to get it off and you know they didnt miss any spots.... but it wouldnt work on such a young little one.

Have you tried brushing your teeth with him so he can see you doing it. Kids are very visual learners and sometimes showing them on yourself works so he can imitate you. Also they have those cute tooth brushes now that are motorized with characters on them he may like them and since they are motorized they will do a better job of cleaning. I am sure most kids do not brush thoroughly at his age as long as he is attempting it I am sure he will be fine.

brushing is very important, even this young. just take a trip to a pediatric dentist and see how many 2 year olds have cavities. juice and anything that sticks to the teeth, such as fruit snacks and raisins, are the worst offenders. but even if you child doesnt eat those things, genetics also plays a big role.

children are not capable of brushing their teeth on their own until quite older. they just dont do a good enough job, so you should do it. its also very important to start young because if he doesnt like it now, he isnt going to suddenly changed at 2. he needs to get used to it asap. my daughter hated her teeth brushed, and it was a nightmare, until 4!!! but she has no cavities, and her cousins all do.(she also drinks NO juice).

i know it might be tough now, but my sister has to go in next month to have a huge cavity filled for her 4 year old. needles, laughing gas, the drilling. you will much prefer the struggle everynight to brush rather than this. good luck, it will get better.

and one thing more to try is to get several toothbrushes, with characters, as well as the spin brush type ones. a few different flavor toothpastes too. changing it up each day might get him more interested, wanting to see whats coming. stamps are also a great incentive for things. good luck!

Funny- I sing too (the brusha brusha brusha song from "Grease"). I recently got my son (23 months old) an electric toothbrush and it seems like he's doing a better job with that than the regular toddler brush. I think he likes the way it feels and so is more likely to move it around in there. I don't worry too much about it.. I remember someone telling me that toddlers haven't started producing the same enzymes or bacteria in their mouths that adults do yet (that's why they don't wake with morning breath etc) - so if they don't do as good a job as we do, it's not the end of the world.

I let my 2 year old play with one tooth brush and while she is rinsing it under the water I brush with another one. I talk about getting all the food out that she ate that day from breakfast and snacks, to lunch and dinner. That really distracts her because she starts thinking about her day. I make it fun, "Open wide I think I see some yummy pancakes and syrup in there, oh there are some grapes from snack time..." etc.

Good luck:)

Hi B.,

It is so important to start a habit of good oral hygiene at a young age. Especially now that we know the effect that it has on our overall health during our lifetime.
I don't think that I would trust my children to fully brush their teeth on their own until about age 7 or 8.
My daughter is 4 and she has always wanted to brush her teeth on her own, but the rule is that Mommy does it first and then she can do it. Her back molars are fairly close together now so I also have to floss her back teeth too.
When my daughter was your son's age, we would sing a lot of songs during brushing and I would talk to her about all the things she ate that day and how we were brushing it off her teeth. Whatever you can do to make a game out of it or make it fun will help.I have heard some people suggest doing it when they are watching a TV show they like because they will be distracted. I have also heard people suggest doing it while they are taking a bath.
You can take your son to a pediatric dentist now or around two years of age. It will help to get him familiar with the dentist and they may be able to do a cleaning. I took my daughter at two years of age and she loved the experience. I was also glad that they were able to clean her teeth because she was starting to get some yellowing and they gave me some helpful tips on caring for her teeth.

wish you all the best,
B.

I always tell my daughter that it's my turn first and then she can do it. When I am doing it I sing, but I do have to pin her hands down to keep her from grabbing. Also, she does bite down, but as frustrating as it is for me, i get silly and say "lemme in there!" in a silly voice so I can get some good strokes in. I also say, "open up and say ahhh" which is something her little people dr. office says, and she will do that sometimes. It is a frustrating process, but i do manage to get a good brushing on all the surfaces eventually. Then I praise her big time and let her have her turn where she can chew and "brush" all she wants.

Ypu have to brush his teeth for him. Mayb if you let him brush first or you brush first and then him after that may work. You can also sing a song or play a short song that would be the time it takes for you to brush his teeth . Make it fun he may like that

I am now experiencing the same with my 17 month old daughter. I cannot get in there long enough to brush her teeth and clean her tongue. As soon as I get in there, she starts biting me. Has anyone found a tongue scrapper for their toddler? I can get to the teeth, but the tongue is a problem.

Thank you.

It is very important that you brush your son's teeth. I am a dentist and a mom of a 20 month-old and a 5 month-old, and I know how hard this can be, but it will be MUCH worse if your son gets cavities. The easiest way to brush their teeth is to have them sit on the sink facing the mirror and you are behind them. This way you have better control over the toothbrush and the child because you can bear-hug him. We usually sing the alphabet song, or twinkle twinkle as a distraction. Good luck, and keep trying!