toothbrushes for kids

DS is 11 months. he has 9 teeth including a molar. for the past 6 months, i
have been trying to get in his mouth to brush his teeth but he just won't
let me no matter what i tried. i have 2 different baby toothbrushes for him.
a finger brush or using a face washer is out of the question as he will bite
my fingers. i am quite concerned that he is not getting his teeth brushed.
he likes to play with DH's & my (adult) toothbrushes so i tried to brush
with DH's (as his is soft) & DS will open up & have his teeth brushed.
my question is will it harm his teeth or gums if i buy him a similar soft
adult toothbrush to use on his teeth? he can open his mouth wide enough for
it to get inside (he must have a big mouth!). any thoughts?
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02

elizabeth emerald wrote:
DS is 11 months. he has 9 teeth including a molar. for the past 6 months, i
have been trying to get in his mouth to brush his teeth but he just won't
let me no matter what i tried. snippit any thoughts?

At this age you will have a hard time getting any teeth brushed, no matter
how many there are. Therefore many dentists advice to use a toddler toothpaste
with a small amount of fluoride in it, so even if you can only manage to
brush one tooth, at least the toothpaste will get into the mouth and do
its job. It strengthens the enamel and gets rid of most bacteria.

Keeping up the brushing is important so your child will learn that this
is part of his personal hygiene. Don't force it, let it be a game. Let him
play with the adult toothbrush if he wants, put on a little of his own
toothpaste when he puts it into his mouth and he'll be fine. Currently,
I give DS my toothbrush to hold and play with, while I brush his teeth
and then I let him try for himself when I am done.

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

in article , elizabeth emerald at
wrote on 29/7/03 18:11:

DS is 11 months. he has 9 teeth including a molar. for the past 6 months, i
have been trying to get in his mouth to brush his teeth but he just won't
let me no matter what i tried. i have 2 different baby toothbrushes for him.
a finger brush or using a face washer is out of the question as he will bite
my fingers. i am quite concerned that he is not getting his teeth brushed.
he likes to play with DH's & my (adult) toothbrushes so i tried to brush
with DH's (as his is soft) & DS will open up & have his teeth brushed.
my question is will it harm his teeth or gums if i buy him a similar soft
adult toothbrush to use on his teeth? he can open his mouth wide enough for
it to get inside (he must have a big mouth!). any thoughts?

Try an electric toothbrush (like the Oral B one from Braun) - my kids loved
the buzzy tickly feeling in their mouths when they were little[r], and Emma,
at the tender age of 2, brushes her own teeth (with a little help from mom
to "get the spots she missed"). You can buy soft kids' brushes for it, plus
it has a built-in 2 minute timer (although when you only have, what, 16
teeth, 2 minutes is a HECK of a long time ))

Prague Jen
Momma to Max, 6.97 and Emma, 6.01

elizabeth emerald wrote:

DS is 11 months. he has 9 teeth including a molar. for the past 6 months, i
have been trying to get in his mouth to brush his teeth but he just won't
let me no matter what i tried. i have 2 different baby toothbrushes for him.
a finger brush or using a face washer is out of the question as he will bite
my fingers. i am quite concerned that he is not getting his teeth brushed.
he likes to play with DH's & my (adult) toothbrushes so i tried to brush
with DH's (as his is soft) & DS will open up & have his teeth brushed.
my question is will it harm his teeth or gums if i buy him a similar soft
adult toothbrush to use on his teeth? he can open his mouth wide enough for
it to get inside (he must have a big mouth!). any thoughts?

We used a small kid's brush, with some toothpaste on it. For about 4
months, we'd let him chew on it and sometimes he even let us brush :-).
Now he lets us brush and he's trying to brush himself too.

I think it's all about good-flavored toothpaste, at least for us right
now (Tom's Of Maine Silly Strawberry toothpaste, with fluoride (no
fluoridation in any water that we use).

Meself

"elizabeth emerald" wrote in message
...

"Astromum" wrote in message
...
elizabeth emerald wrote:
DS is 11 months. he has 9 teeth including a molar. for the past 6
months, i
have been trying to get in his mouth to brush his teeth but he just
won't
let me no matter what i tried. snippit any thoughts?

At this age you will have a hard time getting any teeth brushed, no
matter
how many there are. Therefore many dentists advice to use a toddler
toothpaste
with a small amount of fluoride in it, so even if you can only manage to
brush one tooth, at least the toothpaste will get into the mouth and do
its job. It strengthens the enamel and gets rid of most bacteria.
we are told in australia not to give toothpaste until they can spit
(2-3yrs)
as it's dangerous to let them swallow.
--
elizabeth (in australia)
DS - born 20-aug-02

That's what it says on our fluoridated toothpaste. I use the toddler
toothpaste on DS, which has no fluoride. I think most people do on their
toddlers. It's made so toddlers can swallow safely.

elizabeth emerald wrote:

we are told in australia not to give toothpaste until they can spit (2-3yrs)
as it's dangerous to let them swallow.

In Europe we have special toddler toothpaste which has smaller
amounts of fluoride. If you brush teeth once a day with this
paste and no more than the size of the kids pinky nail, there
is no danger in it at all. Even if you would use more, it
would be safe, unless you decide to use the whole tube at once...

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD