Baby Led Weaning

Growing healthy babies with healthy appetites

Toothbrushing

So is everyone doing this, then? Morning and night?

HOW?

We probably manage to brush Babybear's teeth once a day, in her bath, but to be honest she very rarely lets me put the brush into her mouth so it's very much up to her how co-operative she wishes to be. Often she spends more time chewing the end of the brush than she does cleaning her teeth. We aren't using baby toothpaste because my friend told me that we shouldn't (although I've quite forgotten the reason, of course… possibly something to do with fluoride?) so I just rub the tiniest amount into the brush before handing it over. For some reason the mintiness takes her completely by surprise every time, but I try not to laugh too hard as I feel this could create the wrong mood.

This is far from a top tip, because I have actually come in search of top tips… but I do notice that if I am brushing my teeth at the same time things tend to go better. In  fact, the very best way to get her to do it is to allow her to steal my (very soft) toothbrush, but as I see her trusting little face turned up I do sometimes worry that I will be passing on germs that her immune system will collapse under. Still,  whatever works…

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11 Responses to “Toothbrushing”

  1. Anonymous says:

    We're just chucking the toothbrush in the bath with Minky and hoping she does something with it. Occasionally I'll brush my teeth with it and then try and brush hers. She generally closes her mouth really tightly and turns away from me.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Just a quick note about the flouride thing – because there is no flouride added to the water where we are then the childs toothpaste doesn't have enough flouride in it. However if you live anywhere else in the UK then use the childrens stuff.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thanks Morv.

  4. Anonymous says:

    I have 2 kiddo's from 28,5 months and 16 months. After my first I introduced the toothbrushing far earlier with my second. When he was very little I used the fingerbrush and also gave him a baby tooth brush to play with (since they put everything in the mouth, he got already some experience there from 4months). Since my youngest can sit properly I have them together in bath in the morning and then we do the toothbrushing together. First I give them their own toothbrush and they can try a bit them selfes, whilst I brush my own teeth in front of them…and they really like to copy ! Then after that I brush their teeth another time with some toothpaste. My dentist advises to use a little baby-toothpaste and it does make it more attractive for the kids. I have different tastes so they can choose. Same with toothbrushes; a couple of differnt ones, so they can choose. And I try to make a lot of fun around it and have a toothbrush-song. For us toothbrushing is part of the routine, like changing nappies, we don't skip it. My eldest gets her teeth brushed before she goes to bed aswell, my youngest not, since I still breastfeed him to sleep…but that'll come

  5. Anonymous says:

    Oh lord, I feel so ashamed, I am utterly rubbish about brushing the Weeble's teeth. I have had to have loads of work on mine over the years (and my poor mum has had to have 7 out in the past two months due to a jaw infection – *shudder*) so you'd think I'd know better.
    Ellen, I am going to use you as a great example, and also I'm stealing your idea of the different coloured toothbrushes!

  6. Anonymous says:

    Funnily enough i gave in just this week and bought Babybear the same toothbrush as her father and I have, and now she's much more into brushing her teeth. it's an adult-sized one, but very soft bristles (some sort of Wisdom clean-between thing) and she doesn't have any back teeth yet so i reckon that having her chew on the bristles of a big toothbrush that she likes is better than her chewing on the end of a baby brush she hates. let's hope so, anyway.

  7. Anonymous says:

    I'm sure that chewing on the bristles of a big toothbrush that she likes is better Aitch ! You have to keep them interested and some fun with it all. And Bunny, you've also very nice toothbrushes with characters like Winnie the pooh and so on…

  8. Anonymous says:

    Not had to broach the toothbrushing thing yet cos although Euey hits the 8 month mark next week theres no sign of any teeth yet! But the boy must have the hardest gums around as he managed to tear apart a huge slice of roast beef last week.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I've recently been to a weaning lecture thingy and was told that the local dentist (who gives talks to mother and baby groups) advises flouride baby toothpaste (Macleans make a version) because our local water company doesn't add fluoride to water – tooth decay in Telford children is apparently dreadful. Even better we got a freebie tube! Unfortunately hubby is eyeing it up because he can't stand the taste of the Aloe vera stuff I buy for us.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Baby Girl has four teeth. When I clean her up after meals I wet two washcloths, one for wiping her down and one for her to chew/suck on. Hopefully we can move from there to wiping the teeth and then to brushing them. But for now, this is better than nothing.

  11. Anonymous says:

    We appeared to have solved toothbrushing. Munhc is more than happy to let me bursh her teeth, as long as she can brush mine. She has 2 brushes and she holds one while I hold the other and I can brush away to my hearts content….

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