When to Start Brushing Teeth?

Hello J.! Even though she only has 5 teeth, i think you should get her started so he knows what to do. Now on what to buy! Go to you local store and they give you ages and stages on toothbrushes and the best type of toothpaste. I use oral-b stages. Its bubble gum flavor. You only put a pea size on there toothbrush and let her go crazy. Watch her to. Well because she has 5 teeth i would say have her do it once a day. Good luck!!!!

Hi J., I started about the same time until my daughter refused to let me do it for her. She is now 2 and does it somewhat on her own, I try to assist her sometimes because she is so "independent." I would say stay away from toothpaste that contain fluoride because children get enough from drinking water. However, that is also according to the doctor. I am actually a preferred customer/Independent Consultant with Melaleuca - The Wellness Co. and I purchase the tooth-gel and toothbrush from there for her. It has a apple flavor to it and she loves it. She wants to brush her teeth every time she sees her toothbrush. Hooe this helps!

My 14 month old has all of his teeth in now and has already been to the dentist for his 1st check-up. They suggest brushing as soon as the 1st tooth has come through, twice a day (morning and before bed-time) The bed-time brushing is the most important because it removes all of the sugars and other foods/liquids that can harm & weaken their teeth.

We started brushing as soon as he got his 1st tooth at 3 months using the finger tooth brush but by 13 months you should really be using a regular baby toothbrush. Oral B makes the Stages toothbrushes that are recommended by our dentist.

start now and at about two get to a dentist, depending on how the teeth come in at that point you should even start flossing depending on how much space is between her teeth. look for infant toothpaste or something that is safe to swallow untill she is old enough to rinse and spit. good luck and have fun, my kids loved to just chew on thier tooth brushes, we went through a lot o them because of this but they have great habits now because of it.

Someone said to make sure the toothpaste had fluoride in it...I say the exact OPPOSITE! Make sure it does NOT have fluoride in it, because she is too young to not swallow it. Read up on fluoride and you'll see that it is very very toxic.
Otherwise, it's never too early to start brushing their teeth/gums!
Blessings,
Lynn

Hi J.!

I started brushing my son's teeth after he got his first tooth. I bought the Oragel Tooth and Gum Cleanser. It came with flouride free toothpaste and a little brush you put on your finger to rub gums and teeth.

My son had all his teeth in by the time he was 1. So we graduated to a small toothbrush and flouride free toothpaste. Children's toothpaste and toothbrushes are not usually mixed in with the adult stuff. However, children's flouride toothpaste is mixed in with the flouride free. So make sure you read labels! I've already came home with the wrong stuff.

I won't give my son flouride until he's old enough to know to spit. Right now, he's obsessed with brushing his teeth. I really only brush his teeth in the morning and at night. But he feels the need to brush his own teeth every time he walks into the bathroom. He gets the flouride he needs through tap water anyway.

My pediatrician said not to worry about a dentist until he's 3; about when he can hold his own mouth open. The woman I babysit for, who is a dental hygeniest, said the same thing. She said as long as you brush the teeth twice a day and follow good habits (not too much sugar, no drink while sleeping, etc) you should be fine. She also said to hold off until they can hold their mouths open.

Good luck!

I am also a first time mom. My name is M.. I have one child who is 16 months old and I just let her chew on her tooth brush,cause it brushes her teeth and makes her feel important.

Start NOW! :) We started brushing as soon as the first tooth came in, twice a day. First with the little finger toothbrush and infant toothpaste. I changed over to children's toothpaste sometime around two (but he didn't get any teeth until he was 11 months old...and they came in slowly after that) So probably about the time he had 5 teeth we switched to toddler toothpaste and an extra small brush. When he goes to day care they brush their teeth after lunch and before nap, we try to keep it the same at home. So after about 2 years old he was brushing his teeth three times a day every day...and not a single cavity or tooth problem to speak of! :)
Best wishes and happy brushing!

You can start now. I started my son out fairly early too with just the little gum brush once he cut his first two teeth at 5 months I moved up to an actual kiddie toothbrush. I used some little generic toothpaste they have for younger children. But since your daughter is over 1 use any kind of kids paste of your choice just be sure it has FLOURIDE in it. Its very critical for them at this point. Good luck!

You can start brushing now if you would like to. There are special soft brushes that you can find at the grocery, just look for the extra soft or under 2 label. also the special toothpaste is a training toothpaste that is safe for kids to swallow. The one that I use is made by Orajel. Hope this helps.

Hi,

You can start now. My daughter is 16 months and has a mouth full of teeth. I started out on the little finger brush and moved up to an actual toddler brush a couple of months ago. For both, I used Gerber brand, Grins and Giggles. Both come with toothpaste (which mine LOVES). My daughter really looks forward to it now and once I brush her teeth (as best as i can) I let her do it and she doesnt want to give the toothbrush up. I do my daughter's day and night, but you might want to start out just at night, see how it goes, then progress from there.

I think they actually recommend starting before they have teeth, and using the little finger brush on their gums. We didn't, we waited until he had his first teeth in, they make flouride free toothpaste for babies, and we just do it every night at bathtime. My son does good, he likes to chew on the toothbrush mostly but we can brush his teeth without difficulty.

A good time to start brushing is as soon as their teeth come through the gum. Use a soft tooth brush (for under age 2) and a mild toothpaste that is not too tingling. This will help so they will want to continue to brush their teeth. You can always call your family dentist for more up-to-date recommendations by the American Dental Society or go to the American Dental Society website for their recommendations and latest research to support their recommendations. The website is: http://www.ada.org/
I hope this helps. Another suggestions for all young mothers is before your infants teeth come in, always wipe their gums off with a gauze pad after they drink their milk from a bottle, cup or have nursed. This will prevent baby tooth decay after their teeth come in. The residual milk that is left on their gums after feedings can place them at high risk for baby tooth decay after their teeth come in due to the natural sugar in the milk.

You should start brushing as soon as they get a tooth. There are several brands of toothpaste at the grocery/drug store that are made for babies (safe to swallow) as well as baby toothbrushes. Also, our pediatric dentist recommends that they start being seen at age one. Good luck!

My daughter is 12 months old and we have been brushing her teeth with a suitable toothbrush for her age and the oragel toothpaste. I know many have recommended seeing a dentist at age one. My brother is a dentist and says it isn't necessary until the child is a little older. However, he does see small children, usually because they are given pop and other sugary liquids to drink.
I am also returning back to work soon. Maybe you could give me some advice! I'm already having seperation anxiety. Good luck!

You are good to go! Start now. We have been brushing my daughter's since she got her first tooth. We used a finger brush for awhile, but switched to a baby toothbrush when she started biting my finger through the finger brush! :) We buy a brand called Grins & Giggles- it's formulated with no flouride and is safe for babies, even if swallowed, and they *come with* the finger or tooth brush. My daughter does really well with it and we thought it was good to get her in the habit now.

My pediatrician told us a couple months ago, when she was about 13 months, we could even just use a wet rag to wipe her gums and teeth off. Either way, it's good to start early.