Baby Tooth Care

Oraljel has an infant/toddler kit that has the finger toothbrush and tooth paste, I use it for my grandson(I liked it)

Yep that's all you do at this age. Their teeth are very soft so you don't want to do anything harsh or abrasive.

My baby is almost 17 months. Since she started to sprout tetth we have used the baby gell adn a tooth brush. She loves brushing her own teeth. Plus, we do it three times a day so she is really ino it. BUT you can use a wash cloth and to be honest that works better sometimes.

About a month ago she feel and knocked out one of her front teeth and cracked another... We hadn;'t taken her to a dentist because she was so young but now I tell everyone, if they ahve teeth go find a dentist. Most dentist will see under 2 for a free consultation. That is all you need but you get on their roster then and if you have a mouth issue...

Good luck.

I work for a pediatric dentist. Let me give you $200 worth of advice. Ready?
Ditch the juice. It's a cup of empty calories and deposits sugar between the teeth that you can't brush out. It's good for nothing. If you have vitamin concerns, use a liquid multi and put it in food. If you HAVE to do juice, make it 100% juice with no sugar added, or better yet, juice it yourself.
Make snacks cheese and fruit like bananas and avocados. Forget the carbs, they too attract sugar bugs. Save carbs and milk for meal times when you create enough enzymes from chewing to break them down before they cause decay and brush afterwards--all three big meals.
Use an oral-B 4-24 month toothbrush and some Xylitol gel (Spry brand is good). You can use training toothpaste as well, but Xylitol has been shown to reduce the bacteria that causes decay and it's natural. So as he gets older you can use both. DO NOT switch to fluoridated toothpaste until your child can spit. The fluoride in our water will be plenty until then. Electric toothbrushes are good. We recommend that for kids you buy a good quality one and alternate morning and night with a regular toothbrush. They work differently and are good for different reasons.
Start flossing when and where teeth touch. Wherever they touch, there is the opportunity for decay to start. If you don't feel like flossing one night, just give him a peice to play with (that'll be about 1 yr-18mos) and skip it. It'll keep the routine there and save you some effort.
Hope that helps,
K.

Well, my 12 month old loves to have her teeth brushed, and it couldn't hrt to use paste which I use with my other girls so I use Tom's non flouride toothpaste. They make a (strawberry?) one they really like, as well as apricot. You can get all the many flavors at Whole Foods, and some of them at a good HEB, but I haven't found the fruity nonflouridated Tom's at other stores.

It's cheaper then the other brands of non flouride toothpaste which is why we use it.

BTW, before switching to fluoride do a google search on fluoride, you might be surprised at what you come up with, like the fact that too much fluoride weakens the teeth (then how can fluoride make it stronger??) and that they haven't proven that fluoride has ay benefit. Also, fluoride is a by-product. It really isn't safe.

S., mom to four girls and allergic to fluoride myself

My son is almost a year and I have been brushing his teeth since he was about 8 months with a floride free. The reason I feel like brushing is the best is because it's easy to set a good habit when there young. i feel like if I do it now it will be routeen that will be easy for him to follow as he grows. We make it fun by sitting him in the sink so he can watch in the mirror and we sing about brushing. Hope this helps.

Simply wiping his teeth is fine. If he is a breast-fed baby, breast milk has natural antibacterial properties... that's why our nipples stay so clean. If you feel more comfortable though, there is baby toothpaste that is non-flouridated. We have used non-flouridated toothpaste with my daughter since she was 2-3. Nine years later, she doesn't have a single cavity and we aren't nearly as consistent as I would prefer. I don't have to worry about the affect of flouride in her body.

If YOU want to start brushing your baby's teeth...brush them! Nine months is an excellent time to start. I know people that don't start till their babies are 2yrs+. Some of them have probs getting t-brushes into their child's mouth. I would get Tom's Natural Flouride-free 'Silly Strawberry'. That is what I've used w/ both my boys from the time they got teeth. Just get a really soft toothbrush! My dentist completely agreed w/ what I was doing (Trippie & Traylor).

The biggest thing I can recommend is "Brush his teeth and often". My daughter had her first four teeth by four months old and we brushed all the time. My problem was that I would send her to bed with a bottle of formula, milk, and then juice. I didn't know any better and she got milk mouth. Her teeth were rotting and she had to have lots of dental work at the age of 2 (5 fillings and 4 caps). I felt horrible but knew better with my second child. So brush his teeth and only send them to bed with water. Good luck. :)

HI there let me start with woohoo for breast feeding. My son is 16mths & we are still at it as well. I started out by wiping them down at in the morning & then again at night, & I let him start to experiment with his own tooth brush. (supervised of course) once he started eating more solids (& juice) I started helping him brush them with water. It seems to be working well. Now every time we go into the bathroom he wants to brush his teeth.

My son got his teeth early, too. If you want to go with the flouride free toothpaste for kids that is safe if swallowed, go ahead. You won't be hurting anything. I don't think it's necessary, though. I let my son play with his tooth brush. He chomps on it and chews on it and likes to dip the brush in the water and suck the water. This cleans his teeth just fine.

At Wal-Mart in the baby isle there is baby tooth paste. It comes with a little thing to put on our finger that you use to clean the teeth and gums. Dr. Ruhnke recommended this for my 6 year old when she was a baby and still for my 11 month old with 4 teeth.

My son is old enough to brush for real these days, but I did use the infant toothpaste and the rubber finger brush when he was a baby. We've had no tooth problems in six years, so hopefully it did some good. Good luck!

As soon as my daughter got teeth, I started using the baby non-flouride toothpaste. You have two options for a toothbrush - the kind that you slip on your finger or a baby toothbrush [if he bites down, you will want to use the toothbrush :)]. I started twice a day (morning & night) to get her used to brushing. She actually resisted at first, but I've found that if I sing a song (...Brush your teeth so they're nice & clean, brush your teeth so they don't turn green...)and let her play with the tube of toothpaste, she's pretty cooperative. Then at the end I let her 'do it' - just hand her the toothbrush and let her gnaw on it for a few mintures.
Good luck!

Hi J.,
I think if you want to get the baby tooth paste it would be fine. It's never too early to start good oral care! My son is five and I wish I had payed better attention. We are now going to the pediadontist this week because of some decay in his upper teeth. Good luck and keep enjoying that little one!
K.

I think it is important to start brushing there teeth as early as possible, that way they get used to it and you are protecting thier teeth. i used the finger brush and toothpaste, you can buy it in the baby section or toothpast section. we starting using that before he really had any teeth, i read articles that said it was a good idea, and continued until he started biting down on it our fingers, doesnt feel good! :) now we use a little toothbrush, says like 6months and up but we still use the baby flouride free toothpaste, which you use until they can spit it out. My 14 month old loves to get his teeth brushed, so i hope as he gets older we will not have problems with him not wanting them brushed!

By all means get the non-flouride toothpaste and begin brushing his teeth. It can't hurt and can only help to establish a routine of teeth brushing for life. I did with my son, almost 6 now, and today I have no problems getting him to brush his teeth. We've had no cavaties or worry spots. My niece's (a year younger than my son) parents on-the-other hand did not establish this when she was a baby. As a result, it is hard to get her to brush her teeth and she has had to have one of her molars capped. Her parents theory was that those teeth are going to fall out anyway, which is true, but establishing the routine is important. The ones that come in behind the babies are there for life.

wiping the teeth now is alright, they have finger tooth brushes for moms to use which are safe if you want extra protection. read the labels for baby toothpaste. They are safe for babys. You should also start taking your baby to the dentist with in the next couple months. And they will help you make a dental smart decision that is best for your child.

I think what you are doing is good enough, but if you would feel better, you could get a soft child tooth brush and using water only, very lightly brush the four teeth.

Hi there,

I worked at a Pediatric dental office for over 4 years.

Wiping is wonderful, but I would do it more after, after milk/juice. Also, make sure dilute the juice with water- a 50/50 combo.

You might want to wait on the toothpaste until his is one. Also, find a Pedodontist in your area and take him for his first visit by the age of one. Most general dentist don't like to see kids until they are 6.

A small soft toothbrush is good. You can give his teeth a quick brush over, then if your supervising or if he is in something like a high chair let him have the tooth brush to chew on for a little while. Babies usually like the feel of the bristles with cold water especially when they are teething. Don't let him crawl or walk around with the brush in him mouth, to easy for fall on it.
Also, breast feeding is great, but fluoride does not go through breast milk. Make sure he is getting some water with fluoride or vitamins with fluoride (usually have to be prescribed by a pediatrician.) Most tap water has it, or you can buy water for children and toddlers with it added. You can get the water in his diet by mixing it into his cereal, or diluting his juice.
Fluoride makes a big difference in children's teeth when they are developing. I breast fed all three kids, but didn't know this with the oldest- she has had many many cavities. I've also done dental screenings for children in areas with and without fluoridated water, and it makes a huge difference.
When he gets a little older, use a children's toothpaste (has less fluoride because kids tend to swallow the paste.) And use a pea size amount. Watch his teeth for any discolorations, and if you see any take him for a check up.

I started brushing my son's teeth when he was about 6 months old with a rubber "finger sleeve" brush with flouride free toothpaste (Gerber makes a set). When he turned 11 months I switched to an actual baby toothbrush. The are very soft and small. I use the Orajel Baby toothpaste (flouride free). He has one toothbrush that is just for me to use at night, and one that he carries around and chews on and brushes with (he is 17 months now). He loves to brush, especially when he sees us brushing. And he actually does a pretty decent job!
I say the sooner you start, the better he will be with letting you in there to brush. For the future-I find that on the days that he really doesn't want me to brush them, that if I let him brush mine while I am doing his he cooperates much better.

Wiping with a washcloth is sufficent, but if you want to, you can give him a toothbrush to chew on just to get him used to it. I used a toothbrush to let them chew on it while my kids were teething and they loved it, It was a VERY easy transition to using toothpaste when they were a year old. My youngest BEGS me to let her brush her teeth about 4-6 times a day now so that she can have her toothbrush and she loves the taste of the Orajel baby toothpaste. Plus the doc said that she had very clean teeth for a child her age 1 1/2 when she had her first check-up. But like I said what you are doing is just what you are supposed to at this age.

Mary

According to my pediatrician, if a baby has teeth, then he or she can get cavities. Definitely brush your son's teeth, with a non-fluoride toothpaste of course.

get the first tooth paste and brush for him, it is never to late to start a life time of good habits. I Started my daughter when she was just a couple months old as it helped sooth her gums. and it got us started with the daily task of brushing, now 8 1/2 years later there are no fights or arguments on tooth brushing, it is a normal part of the day, since she has never known anything different.

The pedi is correct if your son only has four teeth. If you introduct toothpaste, get one that is organic. Little Bear and many other brands have saccrrin (sp?) in them and that is not good for anyone, especially a baby.

Brush his teeth! Get some baby tooth paste and a little tooth brush. I didn't do this and my daughter had cavities by the time she was 2, and has 2 caps on her front teeth. I listened to the same advice, but it ended up being bad. With my 2nd, now 3 1/2, we started brushing his teeth as soon as he had them, and his teeth are perfect. My poor daughter, now 5, has two caps in the front, and a silver "lucky" tooth as she calls it, on the side. All becuase we didn't brush them when she was a baby.

We used the stages tooth brushes. They fit on your finger and they have little nodules to brush the teeth. Ours came in a packet with 4 different stages and then a small really softe tooth brush. I did use a little very small amount of paste at night. She is 4 and has beautiful teeth.

I don't remember where I found it, but I had toothpaste designed for babies that I used for my youngest ones. I don't think it was around for the older ones. I was also given a special shaped toothbrush by their dentist. (I took my children in by the time they were 1 yo, esp if they had teeth.) The toddlers still use a flouride free toothpaste.

I have a 2 year old and a 6 month old and I used the Orajel tooth and gum cleanser with the rubber brush that fits on your finger ever since the 2 year old had teeth. We got him a toothbrush at 1 and we brush daily. The 6 month old doesn't have teeth yet.

I never did the washcloth thing because my kids have always eaten a variety of different foods and are sippy cup junkies. So we have to brush to be sure to avoid cavities when we go the first 2 year dentist visit. A real soft brush with an infants or childrens toothpaste shouldn't hurt at all as long as there are teeth to brush. (I thought you had to use the toothpaste WITH flouride?)

Hey J.,
We just had a pediatric dentist come speak to our mom's group so I will pass on what he told us.
A wet washcloth during bath time is just fine. If you want to brush his teeth no need to get special toothpaste just use a little dot. He says kids typically will just chew on the toohbrush more than the brushing thing even if Mom does the brushing. The wet wash cloth will be good till about two.

Hope this helped.

Hey Jenn
My son started getting teeth at 5 months. Orajel makes a tooth and gum cleanser that comes with a fingertip toothbrush for you. This is what I used on my son until he was old enough for me to brush them with a regular toothbrush. Hope this helps!!

I think dental care is super important. and I suspect, that if the gums are healthy it will minimize the discomfort of teething. My daughter got teeth early... Yeah, that little finger wipe idea never worked-unless I wanted my finger bitten. (And yikes! she could clamp down!) It's been a fight to brush her teeth ever since she was 10 months. I think it would have gone smoother if I had started trying to brush earlier. When I started, she had already learned to shake her head "Noooo". I gave her a toddler brush when she was 10 or 11 months and let her gnaw on it (which I think is as good as brushing), but I didn't do it consistently and when I reintroduced brushing before bed, she didn't like me trying to get in her mouth. I started with the infant Ambasol teeth polisher (sold with the finger wipe), but she prefers the taste of the Orajel Toddler Training Toothpaste.

It might never be easy to introduce the idea of brushing... All I can say is stick with it. Once you start, stay the course. Don't skip; brush every night. Around 18 months, she finally stopped fighting me on it and wanted to "help". Tip: she was really into the idea of brushing my teeth (with my own toothbrush) after I finished brushing hers. Some nights are better than others. And we haven't started brushing in the morning yet. I can only deal with 1 toothbrush battle a day... good luck.

J.,
My son when he was born had two tiny lower teeth i was shocked.They ended disappearing in about a month.They were there because i drank ALOT of milk.His doc told me he would start to teeth early and sure enough he started teething at 3 months and had a mouth full of teeth by 9 to 10 months.I asked the same question about brushing them because he had so many.Same response just to wipe them w/a cloth.not to start brushing until he was at least one or has atleast 5 to 6 teeth.and use childrens toothpaste its more milder. No toothpaste due to not knowing if a baby so small could handle the tinggling sensation that most toothpaste give off.He did fine
w/just the wipe downs after each meal.He'll do just fine.

Hi J., I have been registered dental assistant for 10 yrs and I have a 4 yr old and 2 yr old. I used a tooth brush in stage 1, it usually has soft brushes and head,
and just brushed with water, this usually dislodges any plaque, but, a wash cloth works fine just like your pediatrican recommended. I used the flouride free paste with my oldest when he wanted to brush like a big boy, till he learned how to spit, then I switched him to a childrens toothpaste with flouride. Check with your dentist to see what he or she recommends and also when they want to see your child for his first check up.