Toberu Orimolade Tue 20-Dec-22 06:12:07

Add Reply | Report

When should you begin brushing baby teeth?

It may be tempting to delay worrying about your little one’s smile until they have a mouthful of teeth, but caring for their oral hygiene should begin much earlier than that. You don’t even need to wait until the first tooth has emerged above the gumline to set your baby up for dental success!

In fact, you can start caring for baby’s gums as soon as they are born.

Gum brushing, 0 months and beyond

Baby’s first tooth could come in anytime in their first 4–12 months. When your baby’s mouth is just a gummy smile, you can use a wet soft cloth or a finger brush to wipe their gums and remove bacteria. This helps to prevent damage to their baby teeth as they begin to arrive and has the added benefit of getting them used to having their mouth brushed.

Baby’s first tooth

As soon as teeth begin appearing above the gumline, it’s recommended that you make sure to brush your child’s teeth for 2 minutes at least twice per day. One of those times should be after their last meal and before bed to avoid allowing food or milk to sit in their mouth overnight.

You should also plan to schedule baby’s first visit with a pediatric dentist following the eruption of their first tooth or before their first birthday, whichever comes first.

This is also a good time to progress from a washcloth or finger brush to a child-sized brush with soft bristles, so you can keep your fingers a little further away from those sharp new incisors!

12–18 months

As baby continues to develop more teeth, it’s important for you to develop good oral hygiene habits.

If you haven’t already started brushing their teeth twice per day, now’s the time to add that into your morning and nighttime routine. You should also make an appointment to take them to see a pediatric dentist at this time, if you haven’t already.

Depending on how many teeth they have at this age, you may also consider children’s floss. While flossing, focus on the back molars where food is more likely to get trapped. You can ask a dentist for tips on flossing your baby’s teeth, including what age they recommend starting based on your child’s teeth.

How do you brush baby’s teeth?

The methods you use will depend on your baby’s age and the number of teeth they have.

Before your child has teeth

You can begin brushing your baby’s gums with just a washcloth and some water or a finger brush and some water.

Gently wipe all around the gums and make sure to get under the lip region to help reduce bacteria buildup.

After your child has teeth, but before they can spit

Use a damp brush to make gentle circles on the front, back, and top surfaces of all teeth and along the gumline. You may opt to use a smear of toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice for children under age 3.

Help your child angle their mouth downward, so the toothpaste can dribble out into the sink, into a cup, or onto a washcloth. Encourage your child to try spitting the toothpaste out as they are able.

Source: healthline