When to Start Brushing Teeth? - Vernon Hills,IL

You should actually start wiping down the gums before teeth even appear. At this point you don't really need toothpaste a good wipe down with a wet rag in the morning and before bed should do.

When Natalia was an infant I used to wipe her gums with wet cotton square. When first tooth appeared we started to brush it with special little brush and toothpaste.
There are many of them everywhere - Target, Walmart, etc. Choose one appropriate (like stage 0-2) and make it little ritual before night sleep.
Good luck.

Honestly you can start before they even have teeth! Plaque still builds up on their gums. I've heard it helps with teething as well. Whether that is true, I can't say. All my kids got their teeth easily. There is a tooth and gum cleanser by Baby Orajel and it comes with a "tooth brush" that fits on your finger. It's super soft and the gel is safe to swallow. All my kids love the taste to! Good luck! Happy brushing! ;)

I am a dental hygienist, and, yes you should brush the baby's teeth as soon as they come in. I recommend using a finger brush at first with infant toothpaste. Make sure it's for infants so there is no fluoride in it since they eat it! Gerber has a good one, it has fruit enzymes in it to help clean the teeth and it tastes good to babies. They really don't accumulate much plaque at this point, but you want them to get into the habit of having someone in their mouth and getting their teeth brushed.

yes, start brushing them as soon as they get them! use a soft bristle brush wet with cold water and massage the gums too, it's great for the areas where teeth are coming in. Use only a smidge of non-floride paste(orajel, Burts Bees, toms of maine), almost nothing. I actually used only water for 6 months until she fought to have them brushed, now only a smidgen of paste for flavor.
The most important thing for the health of their teeth is to NEVER let them sleep with the bottle or on the breast. All it does is pool milk around their teeth for hours and set them up for cavities. And no juice all day. dilute it half with water and no more than once a day.
The first dentist appointment should be in about 6 months. Call me with any more tooth questions ###-###-####

Baby Orajel makes a toothpaste and it comes with a rubber "finger glove" that you put on your finger to massage the gel onto the baby's gums. My daughter loved it, as well as the flavor!

You don't want to use toothpaste :) Use a clean, wet piece of gauze.

I started with an Oral B first year toothbrush and I let my daughter play with it (the bristle feel good on those little teeth poking out). The I bought organic toothpaste and another toothbrush for the bathroom and I brush her teeth after I brush mine. My dentist was very proud of me because she never thought of playing with a toothbrush and then introducing toothpaste. So, that works for us!

D.

Start brushing them as soon as they come in. There is toothpast made specificlly for infants that doesn't contain fluoride, that is the kind that you want to use until he/she is able to spit it out. Brush the teeth twice daily with a tiny toothbrush of even a clean washcloth. By making this a part of your child's daily routine it will set them up for a lifetime of good dental habits. I'm a dental hygienist so I see many kids with good oral hygiene and also very poor care. It is heartbreaking to see 4yr olds with rotten teeth and mouths full of plaque and bacteria. Brush with your child daily as he or she grows to make sure they are getting all surfaces of the teeth. I brush my 4 yr. olds teeth once every day and let him do it himself once a day. He has never once fought me and knows this is part of the day like eating or sleeping. Sorry for the long response, I'm very passonate about the subject. Best wishes.

Our peditrician told us to start brushing with a little finger brush + baby/toddler toothpaste (you can find both in drugstores in the tooth care aisle) after every meal and before bed. They can swallow the toddler toothpaste and it won't hurt them a bit, it tastes pretty good!

yes, start while they are young and get them used to it from the get go. When i brush my teeth, I brush my daughters. If I head to the bathroom and announce i am going to brush my teeth, she now comes running. (or should I say waddling).lol.
I got a fingertip "brush" and toothpaste made by baby oragel. I also got her a toothbrush that she "brushes" her own teeth with. Routine is best. Get em going young and it will be habit for them before they even know they should do it.

My daughter got her first teeth at 3 months if you can believe that!! I'm a bit of an oral hygeine freak so I started just wiping her teeth down with a wet washcloth a couple times a day, definitely before bed! Then I bought that thing that slides on your index finger and it usually comes with "baby toothpaste". This toothpaste doesn't contain flouride so it's ok if they swallow it but still only use a little bit. Now my daughter is almost two and we use the same baby toothpaste with a child size toothbrush and so far so good! Good luck!

All you need is a very soft toothbrush and water. Gently brush the teeth and gums with the wet toothbrush and have her sip some water when you are done. You shouldn't use toothpaste until she can spit it out on her own.

If you have trouble with the toothbrush, just wet a washcloth and rub it over her teeth and gums to cleanse them. But, be careful, sometimes my daughter would try to bite me. OUCH!

Good luck.

We use Burt's Bees toothpaste for kids. No flouride so it's okay if it gets swallowed.

Our dentist recommends going to the dentist at this stage so you can become educated on how to instill good dental hygiene in your children. I found it very informative and was told things that I did not know and my daughter was able to meet the dentist prior to her going for her first cleaning at 2 1/2.
K.

You can start even before they get teeth. They have baby toothpaste and it's a little finger tooth brush. This also helps while they are teething to because you can massage their gums.
Mom of 3 boys 5, 3 & 9 months

They make a infant toothpaste and has this finger brush, I started using it when my little boy was 10 months old and he loves it.

Hi N.-
You should start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as they come in. However, you shouldn't use toothpaste until he/she is 2 years old. Flouride is not good for babies under 2. The best thing to do is just get a very soft baby toothbrush and brush his/her teeth with water in the morning and at bedtime. It doesn't have to be a real long process, just enough to get the plaque off his/her teeth. Hope this helps!

Nope. No toothpaste, especially ones with flouride . . .not until they can spit (usually around 3).

Either gauze like the previous mom said or a washcloth or there are things that you can put on your finger with little bristles. Get your child used to the "brushing" it'll be a nightmare to try to start brushing in another few months.

Good Luck!
B.

I have a ten month sold and we've been brushing his teeth before bedtime for a few months now. he loves it, smiles every time after his bottle when i pick up the little toothbrush and say "brusha brusha brusha" and he likes to hold it and wiggle it back and forth in his mouth. I have an adult toothbrush in his room too and i'll play-brush mine at hte same time so he sees how. He thinks it's very funny. We don't use any toothpaste, we jsut take a sip of water after to clear the formula out of his mouth for sleeping.