My son is 9 1/2 months old..should I be brushing his teeth? he only has 2 right now but he's got 3 more that have broke the surface. I have one of those finger tooth brush things..am I supposed to use it every day or what?
Mother of 5 here...I always waited until at least 5 teeth were in top and bottom. Sensitive gums can be offended greatly by a toothbrush-no matter how soft. If this can help...
I would definitely say yes....start young, and be consistent. I started as soon as my son got his first tooth with brushing twice day. Now there is never a question (at 2 1/2) that we brush twice a day....he even reminds me if I forget. Good luck!
THink of what you do now as paving the way for what you want him to do later. If you use your finger thing, or a cloth or an actual tooth brush twice a day, he'll grow up knowing that's just what we do. It will be much easier to let him take over the brushing when he's older than it would be to suddenly introduce the whole process and schedule at a later time. Good luck and have fun!
Yes you definitely should. Get an actual toothbrush as soon as possible though because you will start to notice that the finger one just doesn't do the job that a toothbrush can.
At this age you're cleaning his teeth and getting him used to something in his mouth for brushing. My pedi dentist gave me something that looks like a finger sock - soft terry to wipe his teeth with. Easy to control. If you sew, you can probably make them yourself.
yes- if there is a tooth there it should be brushed 2 times a day to prevent bottle mouth decay. It doesn't hurt to use a washcloth to wipe off the teeth after each feeding too.
I agree with the responses so far. Brush them every day.
DH and I started brushing our daughter's gums with one of those finger brushes before she had teeth. Once she had sprouted two teeth, we bought a toothbrush and training toothpaste (the kind that's safe to swallow because it doesn't contain fluoride) and have been using that every morning and night. We even let her brush her own teeth and gums now so she gets used to the feeling of doing it herself; she loves it!
Our daughter is now 13 months old and I took her to the dentist for the first time last week. The dentist stressed the importance of brushing at an early age because food left on gums can even cause gingivitis.
Good luck to you!
Why not? As soon as my children had teeth I took care of them. I have a home day care and it is a big deal to all brush our teeth and we do it mostly after lunch before nap time but some times we also do it after our Big Breakfast and lunch. They love it most do not spit it out yet but some try. Depends on the age. Mostly 2 and 3 yrs olds. G. W
I am a dental hygienist and as soon as a child gets their teeth is when you should start cleaning them. Preferably you should be cleaning them morning and night. You don't necessarily need to use a toothbrush just yet esp if its just the 2 front teeth. A clean washcloth or gauze square will do the trick. You don't need toothpaste at this age either. The training toothpaste does not have fluoride therefore will not help prevent decay. Hope this helps. As he gets in more teeth you'll need to start using a regular toothbrush. I am a big fan of electric toothbrushes.
Yes! If for no other reason than to get him used to having a toothbrush in his mouth.
My husband & I did not do this, and now we are paying the dentist for it (my son is 5)
If he has teeth, he should be getting them brushed. Brushing is good for stimulating the gums, too.
Yes, as soon as mine had teeth I started brushing. I used the little finger brush (blue) that fits on your finger too. I'm a stickler for teeth, so it's always what I give expecting mothers in their shower gift. Also, I massaged thier gums with it as well, that helps if they're teething or not.
