The habit seems to matter more than perfect technique right now.
Couldn’t agree more. I started with the finger brush too, thinking it’d be less of a battle, but it was useless once my kid discovered strawberries. I switched to a baby toothbrush and yeah, there was a lot of biting and flailing at first. Now, it’s almost automatic—she even tries to brush my teeth sometimes. I still worry about the toothpaste swallowing thing, but our dentist said the same as your pediatrician. It’s messy, but hey, at least we’re trying, right?
It’s messy, but hey, at least we’re trying, right?
Totally relate to this. I remember feeling so stressed about whether I was doing it “right” when we first started. I used the finger brush for a bit too, but honestly, I felt like half the time it just smeared fruit puree around. The baby toothbrush was a pain at first—my kid acted like I was torturing him—but after a couple weeks it just became routine (sort of). Now if I skip it, he actually asks for it, which is wild.
I still get nervous about the toothpaste thing. Even with that tiny smear they recommend, I can’t help but worry he’s swallowing too much. Our dentist said not to stress as long as we’re using the baby stuff and not globbing it on, but... easier said than done. The mess doesn’t bother me as much now. It’s more the constant second-guessing—am I brushing enough? Too hard? Missing spots? But yeah, building the habit seems to matter more than anything at this stage.
But yeah, building the habit seems to matter more than anything at this stage.
That’s what I keep telling myself, too. We started with the finger brush because it just felt less scary, but I swear it was mostly just pushing food around. Swapping to a baby toothbrush was rough—lots of squirming and protests—but now she actually grabs for it. Still not sure if I’m brushing long enough or getting all the spots, but our dentist also said not to stress as long as we’re gentle and consistent. The toothpaste thing gets me too... I always worry she’ll swallow more than a smear. Guess we’re all just figuring it out as we go.
I totally relate to the toothpaste worry—my little guy went through a phase where he’d just suck the brush for the taste and ignore the brushing part. Our dentist also said it’s more about the routine right now than perfect technique, which was a relief. Some days it feels like we barely get a swipe in, but I figure if she’s grabbing for the brush, that’s a win. It really does get easier (or at least less dramatic) with time... or so I keep telling myself.
“Some days it feels like we barely get a swipe in, but I figure if she’s grabbing for the brush, that’s a win.”
This is exactly how it goes at our house, too. I used to stress about getting every tooth perfectly clean, but honestly, just getting the brush in his mouth is sometimes the biggest victory. We started with a finger brush and it was less intimidating for both of us—plus I felt like I had more control. Now we’re trying a baby toothbrush, but he mostly just chews on it. I keep telling myself it’s all about building the habit for now... definitely comforting to know others are in the same boat.
