Can I Use Toothpaste for a 14 Month Old??

you can get toddler toothpastes that do not contain fluoride which is of concern if swallowed by children. it's available at walmart is where I bought mine next to the children's toothbrushes. happy new year

I have been brushing my sons teeth since his very first tooth...I do not recommend that you use a finger brush unless you would like to get bit. They have infant toothpaste that you can use with no floride so that its not harmful to baby if they swallow it. Also, I bought my son an electric toothbrush and he seems to like that a lot more. I let him brush and then I take over and get the backs and front a little better. Good luck and I hope this helps.

You can get Tom's toothpaste without the fluoride. Fluoride is poisonous and must be spit out, so whatever you use, don't use that.
Happy New Year back at you and raise you a ton of joy filled days!
D.

Check babies/toys r us, drug store or grocery store. You want toddler toothpaste that is floride free. It is safe to swallow while they are learning to brush their teeth and lets them have something on the toothbrush. Swallowing to much floride can cause them to get discolorations on their permanent teeth.

My daughter is 18 months, I use a finger fitted gum/teeth cleaner so I can really feel that I am cleaning each area as opposed to the toddler brushes. She does not have any smelly breath. Make sure you are cleaning his gums & tounge-that should help w. the smell?
I don't want her ingesting any unneccisary chemicals-even the baby tooth paste that claims to be safe to ingest-read the ingredients-it is still chemicals & more will be swallowed than actually cleaning the teeth & probably won't help the breath anyhow....but I agree w. one of the other posts, if the breath is bad I would ask your peditrician & then a dentist if need be.;)

Happy New Year D.,
We have been using toothpaste with our children since they first got thier teeth. Our dentist would check their teeth for fun( helped to get them used to being in the chair),when ever I went and gave it to them It doesn't take much and if you get the gels with sparkles it makes for enjoyment. We bought each child their own toothpaste so they felt it was extra special. I remember once my daughter in law asking me if I though the 2 year old could handle a spinning head toothbrush just as the little one came into the room to show mommy her brush at Nana's and how to use it. Have fun with your parenthood.
Nana Glenda

Hi D., The best thing you could do is just continuing as you're doing with the water and toothbrush. The problem with toothpaste is, most all contains flouride which if swallowed, is poisonous. At 14 months old, it's next to impossible to make your child understand NOT to swallow. You might add a little baking soda to the toothbrush or look for an organic toothpaste not containing flouride. Hope this helps, and happy brushing! Sincerely, CJ

get a natural toothpaste for babies at a health food store. if you look at the ingredients in all those mainstream toothpastes, you will not want that stuff going into your baby's body. get something nontoxic and then you won't have to worry about him swallowing a little of it. good luck!

I use toddler toothpaste, not really a paste more like a gel, you can buy it at Toys-r-us or Target one made by Orajel, that my 2 year old likes, it is flouride free so it is okay to swallow and must taste good b/c my son sucks it off his brush first thing. Bad breath can also be from needing calories after a nap or night of sleep or needing water

D., there are toothpaste out there for toddlers and babies. I just bought some for my 7mo with a finger brush. It doesn't contain flouride, which is key at this stage because they don't know not to swallow the toothpaste. It can usually be found in the baby section of Wal-Mart or Target.

Be sure to use toothpaste without fluoride. It is not good for them to swallow the toothpaste. They get plenty of fluoride from drinking tap water.

Hi D. - The baby toothpaste by Oragel is safe to swallow fluoride free. Not minty fresh but it may help a little bit better than just plain water for the bad breath. It has an enzyme in it to help clean the teeth and break down any plaque.

And no your tap water may not have fluoride in it. Ask you ped they'll know if your area has it or not or your water company.

Yes, you can use any type of toothpaste, in fact you should because he needs the fluoride to protect his teeth. The sooner he gets used to having his teeth brushed the better. If he doesn't like the mint then use one of the other flavors.

I started brushing my daughter and son's teeth at around 12 months. Orajel makes Toddler Training Toothpaste that is safe to swallow and flouride free. There are other brands that make similar products as well. I buy mine at Target, but I have seen them at other drug stores like Rite Aid and CVS. There are more "natural" options at places like Pharmaca. The trick is teaching them how to brush! Good luck!

Your son should not have bad breath. Of course, he won't have minty fresh breath but it should not smell bad. If it truly smells bad, you should see a dentist. Good-luck!

There are various brands (ex Oral B)that carry training tooth paste that is flouride free and safe to swallow. Places like Target and Whole Foods carry them. We started using them on my daughter around 8-9 months.

Happy New Year!
A.

My kids loved the kind with Little Bear on it -- Oral B I think, it's a "training" toothpaste that you don't have to worry about swallowing. Check the ages on the box.

Hi D.-
They make infant toothpaste that does not need to be spit out. I would start with that. Then, I would get him one of those finger scrubber toothbrushes and not only let him scrub, but do it yourself once he is finished for a once over. My nephew is 15.5 months and my sister still does it for him- because he is far to wiggly to get them all on his own. =) I hope this helps!
-E. M

Hi D.,

No, you should not use just any kind of toothpaste. I specifically asked our pediatric dentist this question. Make sure to use one for babies that does not contain flouride. Babies should not swallow flouride. My daughter started using a toothpaste with flouride when she was about 3 1/2.

My pediatrician said to use toothpaste w/o flouride bc swallowing flouride isn't good for them. We use the Oral B Thomas the Train toothpaste which they love.

there are a number of fluoride free training toothpastes available in most stores including Target, Whole Foods, etc. Your babies can swallow with no harm and it freshens breath as well. Try one of those brands! Good luck!

there is toothpaste for little ones that cant spit yet that doesnt have flouride so it doesnt upset their tummy's. At about 2 1/2 -3 he should be able to use toothpaste with flouride. He gets of flouride in water. Just call your dentist office for the best advice

yes, they make toothpaste for little ones. it won't hurt them if they swallow it. you can find it at any drug store (walmart, cvs, walgreens, etc.)

good luck
N.

your question intrigued me so I did a quick internet search- a lot of hits and I did not look through them all, but here is one article with some answers beyond toothpaste:
http://www.kiss-bad-breath-goodbye.com/baby-bad-breath.html
one recommendation from this article is to drink a little water after meals, snacks and milk so that no food particles are left in the mouth. it also suggested if simple things are not working to correct this that there may be an underlying medical issue.
We used the "bear" toothpaste too. My daughter is six now and is just getting to the point that she can use any kind of mint toothpaste-the flavor was too "hot" for her. you will notice that most of the training toothpaste come in berry and bubblegum.
Good Luck and Happy New Year

There is baby training toothpaste you can get anywhere they sell regular toothpaste which doesn't have flouride so is safe to be swallowed.

I used to use ACT. It is a flouride rinse but the dentist told me you can put some n their toothbrush and brush with it. Prevents cavities and plaque from formong too.