Is 17 Months Old to Start Brushing Teeth?

I started brushing my son's teeth at 13 months. I used the baby tooth paste (made by Oragel) and a soft little persons tooth brush. I usually do it after I brush mine so he sees that mommy does it too. I think he likes it more for the taste right now but its a great habit to start when they're young!

Dentist's recommend bringing in your baby at 1 to begin establishing a relationship, begin a dental record, keep an eye on those new teeth and to help alleviate fear of the dentist. Once you go to the dentist, just follow their instructions on brushing from here on out.

You know, I did the same thing!! Just totally didn't even think about it, and had done the whole massaging the gums thing and rinsed his mouth with a wet washcloth. But, now we're getting into a habit of teethbrushing, and he loves it. Although, at the advice of the dentist, I still use a washcloth to follow up on what he may have missed. I picked a toothbrush based on the character on it, and my son was in love with his McQueen toothbrush and wouldn't put it down the first day.

Good Luck!

We started brushing my daughter's teeth at 6 months (she had 4 teeth already) and the doctor told us to just use water and a soft tooth brush. At her 18 month appointment I told her we were still doing this and I asked if it was still good enough, and she said it was fine! She said probably around 2yrs we should start using a kids toothpaste though. She also recommended that the toothpaste have this ingredient in it; Xylitol. She said it's a bit more expensive, but well worth it (can't remember exactly why though? something about it promoting "Good" bacteria or something...)
Anyways, hope that helps you a little! :)

It's late but it is never too late. It's actually recommended to brush the gums even before they sprout teeth but that is neither here nor there. No worries. Just get a toothbrush (for young children - they have ages on them, his will probably say infant). Get some non-fluoride toothpaste (you won't use fluoride toothpaste until he is much older and can spit it out on his own). Then start brushing. Since you are at an age where he might fight it a bit. Make it fun. Keep it short and gentle for now (short especially) at the beginning, I'd sing the ABC's slowly, eventually singing it 2-3 times. While brushing, let him know that you are getting all the sugar bugs! If he wants to brush, try to see if he'll let you brush the big sugar bugs off first then he can have a turn to get the rest. I'd also talk about what they ate that day for example, "oh, I see some chocolate milk in there, let me get it, oh, there is some strawberry!, etc.. they'd just sit there and listen. I also find it easier to get a thorough brushing/flossing in by having them lay on my bed with their head at the edge so I could gain full access. This worked with both of my kids but I also started with them when they were very young. My son was 3mos old when he got his first tooth. My kids are 3.5 and 6 now, brush am and pm, I floss them every night,(FYI: on flossing, you only need to floss between teeth that are touching at this point). I still brush first then let them get the rest or I let them brush first and I get the rest. They've also been going to the dentist since they were 6mos old. Some people think that is too young. It was covered 100% by our insurance, so I thought why not? Plus, it got them used to having someone looking at their teeth and cleaning them (it is a very quick process, nothing like when adults go to the dentist) so they both love going to the dentist, I mean LOVE IT! And they both have done great for their X-rays. So in my opinion, getting them started on a positive note with cleaning their teeth and going to the dentist will only pay off later in life. That was way more than just my .02, thanks for listening! (-:

Best wishes,
M.

It's never "too late"....start now! The earlier you start, the more they get used to it as a daily routine...something you JUST do...like changing diapers, or taking a bath. We started when they first got teeth...but that doesn't mean you're a bad parent cause you didn't! Just start now!

Go for it now. You don't even need to use toothpaste. Just water on a brush is good. I did that until my son was 2 and then started using a little toddler tooth paste.

it's never to early to start oral care (cleansing toothless gums with a wash cloth as infants). but it's not too late to start either. there's lots that can still be prevented.

make brushing fun. remember, kids don't have the muscle control to adequately brush their own teeth until about 5-6 years old.

My 16 month old had a good set of teeth by his 1-year birthday so we took him to his first dentist visit. I recommend that you do that too, just to make sure that everything looks okay in there. I didn't know that they could get cavities that early but the dentist said he saw it all the time. Since our check-up, my son's been brushing with a small toothbrush and water. The dentist said water was fine, it's the brushing twice a day that's important. He didn't like it in the beginning but after a few days it was a fun new game for him. We brush for him first, and then let him try on his own for a while. Now he loves it and it's a fight to get him to give us the toothbrush back!