When Should I Start to Brush My Baby's Teeth?

I stated giving my wee one a tooth brush on the changing table. It kept her busy and she liked chewing on it.

According to my dental hygienist, as soon as your child gets teeth, you should at least wipe them with a clean, wet hand towel in the morning and night. You can try to brush them with a brush, as well, but until they get a lot of teeth, the wet towel works fine.

I think from the time the first tooth comes in is the best time to start. Not neccesairly with a toothpaste, but with a clean, soft bristle, toothbrush and water.

i didn't start to brush my daughter's teeth until she had 4 in. but now that we are doing it she has already cut 3 more! the best part is, we brush together and she gets such a delight out of it! i think brushing the gums before they get teeth is good too. it keeps the gums clean and probably soothes them when they start cutting teeth.

Hi C.,

What I did with Valerie was to start brushing her gums. She loved it, and I actually think it helped her when she started getting teeth.

Babies R Us or I think even Wal*Mart may have this in their baby section, but Gerber makes an excellent product for this. It's a tube of fruit flavored non flouride tooth and gum wash that comes with a little rubber brush for your index finger. You put the tooth and gum paste on the brush and rub it on the baby's gums. It's OK for them to swallow and keeps their mouths clean.

Good luck and here's a link to what I'm talking about, if you're interested:

http://www.gerber.com/prodcat?catid=484

It's under "tooth and gum cleanser"

M.

Hi! I started brushing my son's and daughter's teeth even before their teeth came in. Using a washcloth on your baby's teeth can not only clean his/her gums, but also helps relieve pain caused by teething. Once they got their first tooth I started using a baby toothbrush and baby toothpaste and they both loved the taste. Since I started so early, they are both use to having mommy brush their teeth and they enjoy doing it themselves as well. Plus, they are angels at the dentist's office!

Hello C.,
I have an 18 month old and I have been brushing his gums/teeth since he was born. For the first 4 months I would use a warm wash cloth to clean his gums and tongue. Once he turned 4 months then I used a finger tooth brush with infant tooth paste. I have also taken him to the dentist to make sure there is no tooth decay and the dentist was amazed on how healthy and clean my sons teethe were. I don't think you can start to soon. The infant tooth paste states not to use till the infant is 4 months.
I have been doing that with my second son and it seems to be helping him with teething
S.

At the site of the first tooth...It helps to teach them the routine later. Don't use toothpaste until later...around 2 or so when their stomachs can handle/digest it. Just the brush and water. They also have special brushes for baby’s that have ultra fine tiny bristles that slips on to your index finger. You can find it at any local Wal-mart/K-mart.

Now... Gerber sells a teeth cleaning kit. Its a little finger tooth brush for Mom to put on & the toothpaste is very safe for infants.

Have fun!

i started giving my son a toothbrush when he started on mushy foods. getting a character toothbrush for kids is a good idea. my son has a spongebob one he also has his own toothpaste. when its time to brush his teeth he gets up on his stool and grabs his toothbrush. also they have a baby brush by the company oragel. its a brush glove that goes on your thumb and comes with a tutti fruit flavored gel thats not as harsh as regular toothpaste you put some gel on the brush and go inside their mouth and gently brush there teeth. my son used that at 8mths and he actually liked the taste as well as he liked how the brush felt on his teeth and gums.i got my oragel at walgreens it was about 2.99 for the brush and gel.

I started brushing my daughter's gums, before she had teeth! I think she was 4 months old! She got her first two teeth at 5 months! You should brush their teeth, once they have teeth! It's good to get them in the habit!

I started "brushing my son's teeth" before he even had them. Really, it was with an infant gum massager. I did it so he's get used to having me stick something in his mouth. I started really brushing his teeth as soon as he had them at around 7 months. Still, it's hard to get in there, and I took him to the dentist at 18 months because I noticed scaling on one of his teeth. The dentist also found some on the backs of his teeth I couldn't see. Because of this, he was in the early stages of gingivitis. The visit was pure he double L (the lo was NOT happy with the process), but it was worth it if it keeps his teeth healthy.

When my daughter began teething, she refused all of the traditional teething rings, etc. So I bought her an infant tooth brush/ring which she loved. She chomped on that brush all the time, and loved it when I used it to brush her gums & her teeth once they came in. She is now 7 yrs old and loves going to the Dentist so that he can tell her what a good job she is doing caring for her teeth!