Toothbrush Time for Gabby

Toothbrushing is not one of Gabby’s favorite activities. Or, to be more accurate about it, he’s fine with toothbrushing–until I take over the brush. Thing is, I can’t not take over; otherwise, he’ll have yellow teeth and cavities before his third birthday. So we just restrain him and I brush away 🙂 But since he hates it so much, I tried to think of ways to shorten the ordeal for him, but at the same time making sure that the job gets done properly.

Before, we used baby toothbrushes–

Oral-B Stages Baby Toothbrush

But less than a month of use (and biting!), and the toothbrushes look like this —

Flyaway na ang toothbrush (left, Pigeon; right, Oral-B Stages)

Up close and personal

I figured, there has to be a better way to get his teeth clean, one that is faster and more effective considering that Gabby squirms a lot during brushing time. Also, replacing a P150+ toothbrush every month is bound to be expensive. That’s when I thought of getting him an electric toothbrush:

The electric toothbrush (from Watsons) costs around P300+, but the replacement heads cost about P180+ for a set of 4 heads. It’s less expensive to just replace the heads every month in the long run. I noticed also that it’s easier to really clean Gabby’s teeth using an electric toothbrush. My nephew also hates having his teeth brushed, and my sister also got electric brushes for him and his kuya, and she said that their teeth are cleaner compared to when she used the usual baby toothbrushes.

I can attest to the truth of that fact, too. Gabby’s teeth used to be hard to clean with a regular toothbrush, especially since he is so uncooperative. But when we started using the electric toothbrushes, his teeth really got cleaner and whiter. The rotating bristles really do a good job. 🙂

Aside from the above, I also got Steripod toothbrush holders, also from Watsons. Aside from keeping the brush safe from bugs and critters, it also sterilizes the toothbrush while in the pod.

As for toothpaste, I use Pigeon baby toothpaste for Gabby. The tube below costs around P100, if I’m not mistaken. But it lasts long, because I just smear a bit on the bristles, I don’t even use the recommended pea-size amount. Pigeon toothpaste is good because it does not contain fluoride. And it smells yummy, too. It comes in strawberry and orange flavors. Dentists recommend not using fluoride-based toothpaste for children who cannot spit them out, because excess fluoride in the system apparently causes teeth discoloration.

I also saw these tooth and gum wipes at SM Baby Company, where I also buy the toothpaste. It’s great for when you are out and OC and want to clean your baby’s teeth. 🙂 Or when you already brushed his teeth, and he ate something else and you want to avoid another screaming fit. The only hazard here is if your baby is a biter; it really hurts (I should know, Gabby bit me!)