Helpful Hints for the Care of Toddler Teeth

Having three children teaches you a lot about various facets of human hygiene and care. I've learned that there's a lot of crap merchandise out there, purporting to do all sorts of fabulous things for your kids' health. Few of them live up to any of their hype. Amongst the crap are the various versions of toddler toothbrushes out there, my favorite of which is the bristled-finger-cot looking thing that seems much better suited for a good anal exam than an oral cleansing. With those thingamajigs, you, sticking your rubber-clad finger into the mouth of the beast, get bitten and accomplish absolutely no oral hygiene for your dirty-mouthed toddler anyway.

So I, being the "Good Mommy" (yeah, right) that I am, finally followed the ADA's recommendation and took Liz to the dentist at age 1. The first two didn't go that young. But this one did. The best thing that came out of it was this: they gave me an Oral-B toothbrush suitable for her age with an extra-long handle. Then, the dentist had me hold the baby on my lap, he sat knee to knee with me (frankly, too close for my own personal comfort, but it wasn't about me for once), and leaned the baby backwards so her head was in his lap and he was looking down at her upside down head. He brushed the bejeezus out of those teeth...and so I learned how to properly do it myself.

I now lie her down on her changing table "upside down" so that her head is where her feet would normally be and I can stand at the end of the changing table, rather than at the side. We sing something like "Itsy Bitsy Spider" a few times, and that, in combination with watching my silly face sing to her upside down, makes her laugh and open wide. Great brushing has finally been achieved on these toddler teeth.

It astonishes me that these tips are not readily available to the masses, as they are actually helpful and constructive, and do not require Mommy to be bitten even once. Happy brushing!