Brushing Baby Teeth

We were also instructed to wipe our infants teeth with a washcloth after the last feeding as soon as a tooth came in. I introduced the toothbrush around 12 months or so. Definitely when they could stand up on their own.

Please do not use toothpaste with fluoride until your child is able to spit without any possibility of swallowing. Fluoride toothpastes carry poison warnings because swallowing more than a 5mg per kg of body weight can be toxic. I don't know when kids can spit without swallowing -- maybe 5 or 6??

I've decided not to use baby toothpaste (without fluoride) because I'm worried it will delay their ability to spit. It smells and tastes so good, I'm afraid they will enjoy "eating" it too much. But other Moms seem to like using it!

I started my twins brushing as soon as they cut their first tooth. They are 14 months old now and are already in the routine of brushing morning and night. I started out with the orajel soft rubber finger tooth brush and after a couple of weeks introduced the tooth brush. We sing a little song when brushing - Brush-a, brush-a brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth, Brush-a, brush-a brush your teeth all day long. The words in the song reinforce what you are doing but I am sure that any song would do. When I am done brushing, I let them "practice" brushing for several more minutes. We use a very small amount of the orajel baby toothpaste when brushing. Hope this helps!

P.S. The orajel baby toothpaste is floride-free
http://www.orajel.com/products/baby/tooth_gums/cleanser.htm

My dentist discourages toothpaste until they are older. It isn't good for them and they usually swallow it when they aren't old enough. He also says that all you have to do with little baby teeth in infants and toddlers is use a cotton ball to wipe them down every night and it will be enough. They also have those finger toothbrushes with toothpaste that don't have fluoride in them and it is okay to use on the little guys.

My daughter is 7 months and we use a regular wash cloth. The dr and dentist both agreed that is fine for the beginning teeth. She doesn;t mind it at all. Once more come in, we will use a regular baby toothbrush. I never used any kind of toothpaste until my older kids were about 1 1/2 and then make sure you use the toddler/child paste. This does not have the flouride which can be harmful if swallowed often. I think we started using an actual toothbrush around 18 to 24 months depending on how many teeth. The main point is making sure they get the point of brushing once they understand what it is and then move on to the how-to's.

Hi H.,
My son is also 9 month old, and we started brushing as soon as his first tooth came in at 7 months. He loves it! I think it tickles his teeth, and relieves some of the teething pain. If your kids eat real food, you need to at least wash their teeth. I went to target and bought stage 1 toothbrush, and stage 1 toothpaste, which is totally safe if he swallows it. I use a tiny drop of toothpaste, it goes a long way. Also brush the gums where they don't have teeth yet. :)

H.,

My dentist told me to start massaging their gums early and brush at the first sign of teeth. I bought an all natural bristle brush at whole foods (baby size). I also have the Melaleuca baby/kid toothpaste. It's sour apply flavor and my son loves it. He's hilarious, he'll crawl around and I'll brush for a couple seconds, then he smiles and crawls around some more and then comes back.
I actually started brushing with nothing on the brush.
You can also buy a teething ring that has bristles on it, it helps babies with a strong dislike for brushing. They just chew on it.

Hope this helps.

D.

While I don't think they need the whole 'toothbrush/toothpaste' experience yet, I believe it is never too early to introduce good dental hygiene practices to your kids.

My son is, by no means, a 'good brusher' at 21 months BUT he knows what a toothbrush is and what it is for. I bought several little baby toothbrushes at the grocery store (because he drops them...on the bathroom floor...ew!) for him to play with. I brush my teeth in the bathroom all the time in front of him and he likes to imitate me. He is now at the point where he sees me 'wet' the toothbrush before I start brushing, so he too wants his toothbrush wet before he'll put it in his mouth. Right now it is really sorta cute but as he gets older and actually needs to brush his teeth, it won't be like we're introducing a completely foreign concept.