my 9 month old is getting milk-rot cavities in his front teeth. everything that i have tried has ended in him screaming. I cannot get him to brush his teeth for anything! any suggestions?
We never had any problems brushing teeth, unless our son was over tired in which case it was a no go and he’d scream and carry on.
One game he loved when he was about one was brushing daddy’s teeth. My husband would brush his teeth while holding our bub and then he’d let him take over then they’d brush together. I could never do it, if he puts the brush too far in I want to be sick ,kind of ruins the mood.
We still brush teeth as a family once a day and he brushes the rest of the day on his own. We don’t do it straight after feeds because we were told it can do more harm, it has to do with ph level in the mouth.
I’ve also heard that having a drink of water straight after food or drink can at least rinse the sugar (breast milk apparently has more than cows milk!) off their teeth and give their teeth a break.
Love the crocodile idea, that is brilliant! What a kind boy taking such good care of his friend!
My 4 year old refused to brush his teeth until i bought him one of those toothbrushes that he can hear the music in his head while he brushes. now he dances at the bathroom sink instead of screaming! thank you inventors!
Blue-eyes baby, have you seen a dentist about this? My little cousin started having discoloration on his front teeth early on, the next step was a front tooth which broke in two after a fall, and the dentist diagnosed hypoplastic (hypoplaty?) which is a lack of enamel and needs to be treated asap.
Just thought I’d mention it in case it’s not cavities…
Blueeyedbaby - please do get your baby’s teeth checked by a dentist. Tooth decay at 9 months is serious problem and you really should check that there are no other underlying problems that could be causing it.
As for brushing - have your tried using your finger in his mouth? Tooth decay is caused by the acid by-product of sugar being metabolised by bacteria in the mouth. It can be neutralised by agents like fluoride and xylitol which are found in children’s toothpaste. Just apply a little bit onto your finger and rub it onto the teeth. You can also wrap your finger with a wash cloth and use it to wipe the surfaces of your baby’s teeth, or use one of those finger brushes.
Good luck!
My 2 year old had milk rot cavities when he was about 10 months or so too. He brushed his teeth every night and still got them. the dentist suggested that we not give him anything to drink in a bottle after brushing his teeth and that started a bed time issue which we still have. the cavities got filled and he hasn’t had any more since then so maybe try that 