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Have a question for Dr. Bill or Martha?
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Dr. Bill and Martha Answer:
My son is 18 months old and has a whole mouthful of teeth that he doesn't like to have brushed. Do you know of any tricks to get him to like having his teeth brushed? Answer: Your child needs to learn that tooth-brushing is a non-negotiable fact of life. Model toothbrushing. Let your baby watch you brush your teeth. Show excitement. Sometimes it's the toothbrush itself that scares toddlers. As an alternative, wrap a strip of water-moistened gauze around your fingertip and use it as a toothbrush. Some infants will let you put your finger in their mouth, but won't let you invade their mouths with a toothbrush. The toothbrush does work better than the gauze-on-a-finger brush to get in the crevices between teeth. Try the two-parent toothbrushing position. Sit across from each other with your knees touching. Place baby's head on the lap of one parent and the arms and legs on the lap of the other. One parent brushes his teeth from above while the other holds his legs and arms. Brushing the teeth from above gives you a better view and easier access to the protesting mouth. Avoid sticky stuff in your child's diet, such as lollipops, caramel and hard candies. Don't let your baby sleep with a bottle of milk or juice. When a baby falls asleep, saliva flow decreases, diminishing its natural rinsing action on the teeth. The sugar stuff bathes the teeth and bacteria have an enamel feast. Finally, use a "when, then" technique. Pick out something special he really likes to do and then say, "When we brush your teeth, then we can have a story." |
