Toddlers and Tooth Brushing

Z goes for his for his first trip to the dentist this weekend and I am so scared! I scheduled the trip for a Saturday so that S could come with us. Z hates the doctors, the hairdresser and the photographers.....so the chance of him liking the dentist is very slim. I asked them if they would let him just sit in the chair and not go near him. They said they would do as much as they could this visit :)

So far I am very happy with the dentist I chose. They seem like they are very kid friendly and know what they are doing. They sent a book to Z all about the dentist and it has his name in it! It has a place for autographs so he can get the receptionist and dentist's autograph when we go.

One of the dentists I looked at doesn't even let the parent go in with the child. Are they kidding? Talk about scarring a child for life! "No sorry sweetie I am going to wait here in the waiting room while these strangers take you into a room with all of these strange instruments and bright lights...have fun!" I am so happy I found the dentist that I did.

I guess we are late in getting Z to the dentist, he is 22 months. From what I have been told, he should have gone between 12-18 months. We do try to brush Z's teeth at least once a day. We got into this routine when he was 5 months old (back then we would use our finger). Every night at bedtime we go into the bathroom and sing this song while we brush. I usually brush my teeth at the same time to show him what to do. He brushes for awhile and then we brush. We have tried to start brushing in the morning (when I brush) but he is much less cooperative at this time of day. There is too much to do/play and he fights me pretty hard when I try to brush his teeth.

I bought him a special sink stool, he has fun toothbrushes with characters and a toothpaste that he loves but he still fights me. I might have to start doing it while he is distracted (watching TV), that is when I cut his nails. Another tip I heard was to buy a child's electric toothbrush. I am not sure if this will help or scare Z but it is worth a try. I will let you know :)

As for fluoride, my doctor recommends it (I am sure the dentist will too)...but S is against it. He never had it and has beautiful teeth. I did have it and didn't have my first cavity in my late 20's. The fluoride did discolor my teeth but it made them hard as rocks. We have the prescription filled but it has never been used. I am hoping we can talk with the dentist about the pros and cons of using it. S is afraid to put any unneeded chemicals in Z's body. I agree with his feelings and from the little research I have done on the internet, there is a debate out there about whether or not flouride helps or hurts.

Well I am sure I will have lots to share after our trip to the dentist :) Wish us luck!!!!