Toothpaste and Tooth Brushing for 18 Month Old

They say now kids should be seeing a dentist around the one year mark. I waited for my two until a while after around 16 to 18 months, don't wait until she is two, especially with the staining. Decay can set in early. Getting her in the habit of going and used to it early will really prevent stress later. My kids LOVE going to the dentist and they are going regularly for cleanings and check ups. Call around for great Pediatric dentists too or get a recommendation from your Pediatrician.

You should brush twice a day, especially if she drinks juice and out of a sippy cup as that hits right on her teeth. Try to opt for just strawed cups as that bypasses the teeth while drinking, cut back her sugary drinks and stick with milk and water. Even with those you should be brushing twice a day. She shouldn't be drinking much juice at all.

I would suggest getting her into the dentist though. Yellowing can be due to a number of things and it is best to have early intervention on things then later.

A little late to respond maybe, but I have been brushing my son's teeth since he was 4 months old (when he got his 1st tooth). I used the fingertip toothbrush and baby toothpaste until he was about 10 months old. Then we switched to a regular little kid toothbrush (my son also liked the electric toothbrushes, but we only use this occasionally) and training toothpaste. The best way to get him to let me brush his teeth is to let him play with the toothbrush after he lets me brush his teeth (whether for 5 seconds or 2 minutes). If he reaches for the toothbrush first as I'm brushing, I remind him Mom has to do it first and then it is his turn. He loves "brushing" his own teeth and it teaches him to like brushing.

You can also give her the toothbrush in the car while you drive (that way she isn't walking around with it) and keeps her busy in the car but be prepared to throw it in the dishwasher all the time and have extras available as they get dropped on the ground. Then she gets an extra brushing too.

I know my pediatric dentist recommends the 1st appointment between 12 months and 24 months depending on the # of teeth they have...mine had 14 at age 1, so we went in at that time. They just looked at his teeth (best to set her facing you and then flip her on her back with her head over your knees...mouth automatically pops open then!) and put this really cool fluoride on. My son even got a cool little prize from them for being good. Doing it early teaches them that the dentist isn't scary. He has his next appointment next week and has 18 teeth and I guess they will try to clean them a little bit and put more fluoride on them. So, probably about now would be good especially if you are worried about the stains, but make sure you go to a pediatric dentist...they are wonderful with the kids (and are used to getting bitten a bit). My dentist says they won't see kids until age 4-5...way too late in my book! Good luck and hope I wasn't too late in answering!

S., 26, mom of 16-month-old and #2 due in Aug

My 2 1/2 year old HATED having his teeth brushed until about a month ago. We used to have to pin him down and brush while he screamed. My 4 year old had a dentist appointment, so we took my son along so he could see what happened at the dentist. They even gave him his own little brush. And that's all it took. He has been excited to brush ever since! It was like somebody flipped a switch, and he has been amazing about brushing ever since! I can hardly believe it.
As far as the paste, we use that same stuff you use, because my son hasn't figured out how to spit out the paste yet.

The same thing happened to my daughter at about the same age. Like you I just used the training toothpaste. My daughter had been drinking a lot of dark juices lately so I first switched back to apple and light colored juices because they can contribute to staining teeth. Then I bought the kid toothpaste with fluoride. I was worried like you about her swallowing too much but I just put a small amount on the brush and really rinsed her mouth out good when I was done. i also started to let her brush her own teeth in the morning and then I would do it at night. After that her teeth actually got whiter. She is now over 2 and everything is fine. So I would start using fluoride. You can also have her eat strawberries cause they are a natural tooth whitener. As for the dentist, it should be around 2 so you still have some time.

Yes, you need to be brushing them twice a day. We use Weleda Children's Tooth Jell (found at most healthfood stores)
http://shop.weleda.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=9802
And it is time for her to see the dentist. Around their first birthday is a good place to start. We have a really great pediatric dentist and the best part is their first check up is free! Unless they have to do a procedure they don't cherge anything. I would make an appt. ASAP

http://www.awildsmile.com/

And Dr. Witkoff said absolutely NO fouride.

Take her in. My daughter was very at ease when she went in, and really enjoyed the fun environment. Plus, they give you all of the paperwork before the appt. so you don't have to try to keep the kids in check while filling it out.

Good Luck! See the dentist.

~*M.*~

We just brush our toddler's teeth (21 months old) twice a day with water. It's never been a problem for him. We are careful to brush well. He only has milk with meals, otherwise he has only water.