My 19 month old daughter is refusing to let me brush her teeth. I've tried everything including giving her a toothbrush as I am brushing, but she just clamps her mouth shut. Help!  

This is a frustrating one especially after a long day of “no’s”. Some kids are just oppositional and like to say “no” to anything that is not their idea. Try not to get angry, it never helps. Sometimes kids just like to say “no” and the fight between you acts as a release of the day's emotions. The best thing to do is to stay neutral. If you have tried everything, you have probably tried books about the dentist, as well as charts and stickers. I would suggest pulling back and seeing if you can make a game out of it. Try pretending to brush her doll’s teeth or let her brush your teeth. Try putting a little toothpaste on your finger or her own finger and just rub her teeth with it for a few seconds. If she lets you, casually, without making too big a deal out of it, let her know she did a great job then walk away. Try again the next night and see if you can get a little farther with it. Sometimes you can desensitize children so they eventually let you use the tooth brush. Try to make sure it’s a toothpaste that she likes, there are many different kinds with different flavors to try. Lay a few out and let her choose. You can do the same with tooth brushes. Some kids like to have a sense of control and having choices can give them that.

Most likely this is a stage, I am sure she won’t be doing this for long. Dental health is important so I know you can’t wait too long but sometimes it's best to take a relaxed approach so you are responding to her, not reacting to her. You can also have her visit the dentist so the dentist can talk to her about the importance of brushing her teeth. In the meantime, stay calm, be patient, watch how many sweets she eats and how much juice she drinks until you have her brushing regularly. Good luck!