brushing teeth

[hensleyll]

when is a good time to start brushing babies teeth,as soon as they get a tooth or after they get them all

[heypeg]

once they have a few.

[timvolley]

I would think as soon as a tooth appears

[hensleyll]

ok havent been able to find small soft toothbrush yet

[tuyetmai]

I think when you first have your teeth.

[aggie49]

as soon as they start getting teeth thats when i started that way you  get them in the habit of brushing them when they get old enough to do it by them selfs

[jenniferhoder]

The earlier the better; then they just get used to making it part of the daily routine!!!!

[workmama]

I started brushing my son's gums when he was a baby with a damp washcloth before he even had teeth. Now that he is 6 years old, he has very healthy teeth and gums. His dentist always praises him for making her job easy when it comes to him! I would start oral care for your child as soon as possible. Do some research online or ask the child's pediatrician. 

[lywb2168]

At the young of less than 1 you do not need to get a toothbrush just use a towel and clean the mouth in general.  But as soon as they are able to hold and comprehend then let them brush their teeth have them look at you, little kids like to imitate so let them do what you do

[carolhall1031]

I would start early.  Gets them used to the feel of a toothbrush in their mouth.

[BATISTAGIRL663]

i saw on tv just the other day that they said at age one is a great time to start teaching them to brush and to make it a fun experience so they will enjoy brushing and want to do it

[lynnc35]

When they first get them, there is special toothpaste for it. They need to be taken care of just like adults teeth.

[jcalexis]

The person you should this question and get an appropriate answer is your your baby doctor. I remember when my daughter and my son were babies, I used a clean wet cloth to clean their mouths.

[reiddb]

As soon as they get them!!!

[12amos]

This is an interesting question and since I don't have any children I was very curious to find the answer so I did some research and this is what I found: 

When should I start cleaning my baby's teeth?
The BabyCenter Editorial Team


Start cleaning your baby's teeth as soon as that first pearly white sprouts. (For most babies, that's around 4 months.)

"At first, just use a piece of gauze moistened with water to wipe plaque from your baby's teeth and gums," says Howard Reinstein, a pediatrician in Encino, California, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Try to clean your baby's teeth twice a day.

Once your baby has several teeth, you could try using a small toothbrush with just two or three rows of very soft bristles. Brush once in the morning and once before bed. Starting this routine early on will help make it a habit for your child.

Ask your baby's doctor or dentist whether to use toothpaste and what type. "I advise parents who live in an area where the water is fluoridated to choose a toothpaste or baby dental cleanser without fluoride (or skip the toothpaste), at least until the child is 2 years old," says Reinstein.

Fluoride can be toxic to children if ingested in large quantities. (Poison control centers around the country get thousands of toothpaste-related calls each year.) To prevent problems, keep toothpaste out of your baby's reach, and use only a dot the size of a grain of rice when brushing.

Too much fluoride can also cause fluorosis, a type of tooth discoloration.

If your water isn't fluoridated, your child's doctor might prescribe fluoride drops or tablets and recommend fluoridated toothpaste. Talk to your baby's doctor to decide what's best for your child.

Last updated: May 2013




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