Baby's first tooth erupted. It’s cut through the gum and our snagglepuss will soon have a pearly white. Now what? There are all sorts of products in the baby aisle, and the books all counsel that dental care for milk teeth is important. Any tips or suggestions?
More info, he's 6.5 months, and he's our first and only.
Just take a baby cloth (face cloth) and wet the tip wrapped around your finger and rub the tooth down that way
Good Luck
I never brushed the first 2 teeth (yikes) but I did get the CVS brand baby toothpaste that came with the soft finger brush. I didn't use the toothpaste until the kids were past a year old; before then, just a little water on that brush and scrubba scrubba!!
My 15 month old has had a mouthful of 12 teeth since he was 8 months old (soooo funny looking because he was still so little!) and he was the exception; I brush his teeth every day with a child's toothbrush and that baby toothpaste.
I just got one of the infant finger-brushes and the toothpaste that comes with it. It's flouride-free, so no worries there. I brush my DD's teeth every morning after her first nursing session, and every night after her bedtime one. I also wipe her teeth with a cloth after each meal, while I am wiping her face down. After her 2nd tooth came in, I even started using the little floss picks, and she now (at almost 1 year) lets me floss her teeth with no problems whatsoever. People tell me I'm over-the top about it... but I was never taught good oral hygine and as a result my teeth are pretty much trashed. I figure that the younger I start her on good habits, the stronger they will be for her. :)
just a damp washcloth wrapped around your finger to start.......more teeth a baby sized brush--just water,no flouride till he learns to rinse and spit!!! no bottles at bed with anything but water---don't want nasty bottle mouth......happy to hear your concern! D.,RDH
Congrats on the first tooth! And brava for the dental care; it is so important.
I confess that neither did I brush till my Téa had at least 4 teeth, but it's good to start early so they get used to it. I too used one of those rubber infant finger brushes, until she started to bite me (you'll know when THAT happens!) and then switched to a little soft bristle brush for babies that has a flashing light to a) entertain baby and b) let you know when your recommended for baby 1 minute is up.
I also started using the infant toothpaste (we use Earth's Best) when we started with the grown-up style brush.
Good luck! happy smiles!
I just wiped my daughter's first teeth with a wash cloth (clean one of course). When she got her molars in I used Weleda Children's Tooth Gel (all natural).
