Id say on average Caitlin gets her teeth bushed twice a week

She was 8-9mths when got her 1st and for ages had just the one (no excuse). Think she has about 11 now, 8 at front & few molars. I just havent managed to make it part of our routine & its usually done at random points of day as in... oh feck I havent brushed her teeth in a few days! She doesnt mind getting it done so theres no excuse apart from forgeting.

In the morning she has btl, short play, then breakfast, shortplay/cbeebies and then changed. She generally (though it is starting to change to afternoon) then has a nap so I dont think about it.
Bedtime I change her, give btl & then she sleepy so off to bed... again bad mummy forgets!

I do need a kick up the bum. I dont want her teeth falling out or her having pongy breath. I dont 'forget' to change her nappy or dress her so there's no real reason for me forgeting to do this.

Do you all do it religously twice a day? A what point of your routine do you do it? When she only had 1-2 teeth I didnt worry to much now I feel terrible. Maybe this horrendous moment of guilt is what I needed...

Errrrrrrrm same here Cerys only has 3 teeth but i still forget to try and make a routine of it. I try and remember when she's in the bath so like you maybe 2-3 times a week x

OMG thank you meg ! I honestly thought ppl would reply saying oh dear... silly snoopy.

I only bath Caitlin 2-3 times a week too, though our toothbrushes are actually in the kitchen due to bathroom taps playing up over the summer so even if I bathed her everyday it wouldnt help jog my memory. I brush my teeth at totally dif times to her due to going to bed later, getting dressed when she busy playing etc...

Suppose the simple answer is I need to just make it a routine...

Has anyone's toddler been to the dentist yet? Caitlin registered but has never been.

Izzy gets hers done every day - but mostly just once a day by me and her doing it the other time (which isn't the best I must admit)

She has perfectly clean teeth though - white as snow and lovely gums

Izzy has been to the dentist, although just to sit on my mums knee while I was seen, Dan and I are registered with a Private dentist and he said that Izzy will be able to go on his list even though in theory he isn't taking on new patients, and that she will be NHS - its fine..luckily! He is a fab dentist, I have had some horrendous work done (due to negligence of other dentist) and I have never felt any pain!

I agree you do need to try and get it part of the routine, but I know exactly what you mean when you say its hard to get into the routine!
What makes it worse is they suggest not giving directly after food/milk...hmm leaves little time in the day lol!

The time I do it is before bed, she usually gives herself her milk downstairs and then plays a little longer, so its a been half an hour to 45 mins before we go up and then we brush them. Maybe try to bring milk forward a bit so you can do teeth before bed?

She does her own randomly in the day during a nappy change.

You shouldn't feel too bad though, its hard to remember everything, and you know you need to do it, so its not like you just cant be bothered!

Dont feel ashamed hun, it is just routine and I bet once you get into it and it becomes established it will become like second nature.

Libby has brushed her teeth twice a day for erm maybe 18 months ish? We started as soon as she got her 1st tooth and just carried it on - although obviously we used to do it for her when she was little

What I usually do is give her her tooth brush when I'm doing mine in the morning and we brush them together and then usually she does them again about 15 mins before bed.

xxxx

I used to forget all the time but now Tayla LOVES brushing her teeth so asks to do it about 1 times a day She/we do them after her morning milk and after her evening bath She has about 8 now.

we do Tylers twice a day, he's got 8 teeth at the front and more on the way,
we do it in the morning after he's had a nap... so he'll get up an have a bottle, play and a couple of hours after waking up will have a nap and when eh wakes up he has a little wash and dressed and then teeth brushing... if he doesn't nap we do it after he's been washed and dressed

at night he has dinner bottle bath and then teeth brushing.

we did forget to do it loads but now it's part of the routine we don't forget.

i tend to forget sometimes too!

when i get them dressed i'm so busy rushing between the pair that i sometimes just don't think to do it...of course, neither can remind me! :$

my lil niece has been 'reminding' her parents if they forget since she was 2 and at 5, now refuses to go to bed without doing them

must admit i do forget sometims, usually befor school is a rush so tend to do it after the school run, then at night im at work...so i hope oh does it, but i doubt it even if he says he has oliver only has the very tips of his front two as of yet and they have only been through a couple of weeks lol x

they both have them brushed twice a day (Sophia only has 3 teeth) sophiahas hers done afer brekie and after dinner(tea)
Jaiden has his done after brekkie as well when we go to get ready 4 school and last thing at night when getting ready 4 bed

I do sometimes forget but more often then not remember dont feel bad theres always thime to pick up the pace a bit to get her in good habits

C gets hers done every day but usually its just once a day.

It is hard sometimes when you are haring around trying to do things but ive kinda just made myself find that extra coupl of mins as i figure id never leave the house without doing mine. Now she has brekkie and then we go get dressed and before we go downstairs we do it together, 3/4 times a week she does it herself the other 3/4 times i then take the brush after and top up what shes done.

We started when she was toothless with a soft brush and it took time before she stopped fighting us but now she loves it and will often ask to do em again after her bath, if she asks in the evening she gets given the brush and she does em but i must admit if she doesnt ask she only has em done in the morning that day. I have to say as shes gotten more teeth i have noticed now she does start to get morning breath when shes lying in bed talking to me in morning so its more of a kick than ever. I wouldnt feel bad though if its bugging you you clearly wanna do soemthing about it and are just trying to tweak your routine to fit it in. Some people justdont give a damn about teeth and id say thats worse. My sis is one, shes 21 and goes days without brushing em and THATS minging! You will ger there x

Ive registered her with a dentistbut not been yet, must get on and sort that out

I have a nightmare trying to clean callums teeth he will not open his mouth soon as he sees the brush his llips are tight x
Im gonna start being stricter now hes now on 12th so your not the only one xx

I aim for twice a day, once brushed by me but often its just once a day and just brushed by her. Also feel bad coz i know i should be doing it more....

MAndy xx

Thanx ladies

Iv remembered to brush them the past 2 days, well once a day but its an improvement! Thanx for those of you that mentioned letting your toddler brush their own teeth too, id never even considered that. This morning I let Caitlin do it and she pottered round in front of mr tumble brushing her teeth. She loved it and even started trying to brush belle's teeth (her disney doll), so cute!

I wouldnt say its routine yet, but at least the idea is in my head and im sure Caitlin will help remind me too! x

we do paiges once a day. i get her washed n dressed n then brush her teeth... n then let her have her tooth brush to finish off while i brush and tie up her hasir x

Just once a day for us. Sam does them when i do mine and i cannot leave the house or even function without doing mine

It's all about getting into a routine with it. I do Amelia's after she's dressed, usually just as we're about to run out the door lol. She has them done after her evening milk too. Whoever makes her milk gets her toothbrush and paste ready then it's hard to forget x

Thats a great tip lisaG. If i paste up her brush when making her milk (brushes and paste in kitchen anyway) and leave it sitting im more likely to remember! Thanx

Bethany has her's done twice a day, after she is dressed in the morning and then after her supper in the evening. On the days she is at nursery (Monday to Wednesday), she does them after her dinner too, so 3 times on those days xx