6 Months Old - 5 Teeth!

Hello I.! I DO NOT agree with not caring for your son's teeth. My daughter is 6 months and has 2 teeth on the bottom. I wipe them down with a cloth after every feeding (unless she falls asleep). Then, once in a while, I use a gum stimulator to clean her gums up. It doesn't hurt anything at all to keep them clean, just don't start using a toothpaste or anything yet. All you need to do is put a cloth over your finger and wipe out his mouth. You can get a stimulator, but you don't need one. The only reason I have one is because I got it as a shower gift. I use it because she likes to chew on it. I also like to use it to apply Orajel. Like I've said in other posts, trust your judgement- he's your son! Don't let other people make you doubt your decisions!

Wow, I can't believe your ped. said to wait. My son has had teeth poking through since he was 4mos and I was told to start brushing then. You can use a cloth or infant brush. We chose the infant brush because our son like to bite down. He is now 19 mos old and will not leave for daycare or go to bed unless we brush his teeth first.

My daughter had teeth at 3 months and now at 14 months has all her mollars and everything. Our doctor says brush brush brush. We have infant tooth brushes and orajel infant tooth paste. We have been brushing since about 6 months. She really just chews on the toothbrush but it gets the job done. Besides, Making it a part of a daily routine now makes life easier later. To help her get the idea we brush together and i show her how to do it. She tries to copy me with moving the brush side to side. It can't hurt.

I was told by my family dentist to use gauze to gently wipe the teeth when the kids were that young.

I'm pretty sure Orajel makes a safe to swallow baby toothpaste that comes with a finger brush. I used that on my daughter when she started getting teeth. (about 8 months). You can also clean them off with a damp cloth, but I think that the finger brush may work better. Good luck!

Holy Cow-never heard of a doctor who didn't want you to brush teeth. Maybe he thought you meant with flouride?? Either way, yes-get going. Milk and formula have sugar. Your baby will be soon getting the bacteria that feed off of sugar and cause decay and they do need to be cleared. On top of that, it is a good habit to begin so that baby is much more accepting of it. Go get one of those toothpaste finger gloves. It is like a little finger-tip sized rubber glove with soft bristles. Use the swallowable toothpaste if you like-it has enzymes to help break down the sugars. Or just use a washcloth and water-but definately do it!
M. P

I have a 14 month daughter and I gave her a toothbrush (kids one) about 5 months ago. I let her chew on it and show her how to brush her teeth with it. I would say that you can introduce the tooth brush to him without any tooth paste so that he gets used to it when he need to brush on a regular basis. My daughter loves it and when I brush her teeth (2 fully out on the bottom, with one on the way, and 4 out fully on top with 2 on the way) she laughs hysterically. I still do not use any tooth paste yet. I just wanted he to get used to the brush.

Good Luck and I hope this helps,
J.

Wow! I can't believe the doctor told you not to care for the teeth! My doctor tells us to wipe down the baby's gums before he goes to sleep (starting @ 6 mos). We keep a washcloth at the kitchen sink and "brush his teeth" every night before bed. As soon as he sees the washcloth, he opens his mouth for the cleaning! My son is 10 months old and still doesn't have any teeth, but I'm happy that at 6 months old we started getting into the habit of cleaning his mouth, to prep for when the teeth (finally) come in!
They sell baby toothbrushes and things like that, but our doctor said don't waste your money - a clean, damp washcloth is fine for now.
Hopefully, if you are taking the time to clean your son's teeth, then you are also not allowing him to take a bottle of milk to bed with him! I know a little girl who has rotted baby teeth and it isn't pretty. Best of luck to you!

wow my daughter is 5 months and 1 week and she doesnt have any teeth yet...your son is just showing off...lol :-)

I agree with other moms. You should clean your baby's teeth as soon as they are out. Maybe your doc meant have them cleaned by the dental hygentist and thet's why he said to wait? Anyway - you want them to have a good habit of brushing everyday. I brush my son's teeth every evening with a baby toothbrush and warm water. You can also use baby training toothpaste but it's not necessary.

All that you need to do is take a clean, wet wash cloth (i found some good baby wash clothes at the dollar store for something like this)and run it over his teeth that he has. When he starts to get a little bit older, Orel Gel has a "tool" that you stick on the end of your finger that has soft bristles. It usually comes with training tooth paste, but that doesn't always need to be used either. Its a great first toothbrush, but watch out! They bite! =)

Start brushing NOW!!! my daughter had all of her teeth when she turned one year. She's been to the dentist every 6 months for a check up. It is never too early. Use a soft tooth brush with no toothpaste. Or a wet cloth after every feeding. Don't take your doctor's opionion for it ask the experts!!! Call your dentist.

WOW, that's a lot of teeth at 6 months!!!!

I always brushed my kids teeth, or even gums for that matter. I'm surprised the doctor said wait....ours always encouraged us to at least wipe them with a wash cloth. Just buy the infant tooth brush thing that fits on your finger. it comes with the cleansing gel that's age appropriate for them and it will get them used to brushing from an early age.

I was told as soon as your baby has teeth, you start taking care of them. It certainly can't hurt to. I used a washcloth on my daughter's teeth. After meals, I'd wet the corner of a washcloth, stick my pointer finger in it and run it all along the surfaces of her tooth(teeth). Now she has a full set. So we brush our teeth together. She doesn't much like me to do it for her, so I let her do it mostly and I show her how. She's pretty good at mimicking me. I figure it's better than nothing!
:)

I.,

If they have teeth, they need to be cleaned, regardless of the age. My first child had 8 teeth by the time he was 5 months, so I understand your concern. I started with using a washcloth and warm water after every feeding, moved on to a baby toothbrush and training gel after he started eating solids. Just wipe with a back and forth motion..focus on getting him to tolerate it and then look forward to it and you'll be fine. Those little teeth are so important. They sure do change their look too, don't they? No more toothless grins! They grow up too fast.

Wow - I've never heard of a doctor telling you to wait to brush their teeth! At my daughter's 9 month eval, the pediatrician said "you're brushing her teeth, right mom?"

We have baby toothpaste and a little rubber 'thingy' that goes over your finger and we brush her teeth and gums every night...and in the morning, as well.

This is one time I would advise against listening to the baby's dr.

J.

go with the cloth - i just read an article in parenting magazine yesterday that says as soon as they get teeth, rub them & gums with gauze. i think your doctor is wrong & i often times don't say that.

I think you should brush with a cloth or finger toothbrush and that safe for babies toothpaste. By the way, babies who get their teeth early will be the ones in kdg who lose their baby teeth first.

My daughter had 8 teeth by the time she was 8 months old and I brushed her teeth everyday as soon as the first one popped through and now Iget no hesitations from her about brushing..(she's 4 1/2 now). I used one of the finger brushes and just a tiny bit of the training toothpaste(Orajel makes it). My son is almost 1 and LOVES to brush his teeth. I've been doing his teeth since the first one popped up at 5 months.

Hello I.,

My son is 10mths old and he just had 1 tooth poke through. His pedatrition told me to start brushing his teeth with a cloth, or one of those finger tooth brushes.
I went to Walmart and they sell tooth paste for infants with no floride and I use a finger brush.
Good luck

Oh yes clean those little teeth. You don't have to use anything besides water at this stage, another mom answered she started using the baby toothpaste when her baby started solids, I think that's great advice!!

I agree, clean those teeth. I used a soft baby cloth and just put some lukewarm water on them. They do make different cleansers that are safe and fluoride free that can be used. Weleda makes a great one (Weleda's Teeth Gel).