Brushing our own teeth is not something we tend to think about a lot, because for most people it’s a habit that almost turned into second nature. But what do you do the first time you see your child has had her or his shiny new tooth?
In this article, let’s take a look at seven really simple ways to brush your baby’s teeth.
At what age do I start brushing my baby’s teeth?
Babies typically get their first set of baby teeth after they reach six months of age. Known as teething, some babies may experience this around nine or even twelve months of age. You can start brushing from when their first tooth arrives.
How do I brush a baby’s teeth?
Brushes for babies are available with very soft bristles. You can use those to brush your baby’s tiny teeth. If these are not available near your area, or they take too much time to deliver you can substitute them with moistened high quality cotton, soft cloth or gauze pad. Use these to gently wipe their teeth, and when using the substitutes, make sure that no strands are coming loose. Don’t stop with their teeth alone, also brush their gumline, tongue region, and under the lips.
Do baby’s need Fluoride?
Fluoride is a good naturally occurring mineral that helps protect the teeth from acids and other harm. It’s helpful for babies and parents.
When should I introduce toothpaste for my baby?
You can introduce toothpaste right at the beginning when you begin brushing your baby’s teeth. The exception is if your baby is younger than six months of age.
How much toothpaste should I use?
Children under three years should only have toothpaste the size of a grain of rice on their brush. Children over three years old can use a small pea sized quantity of toothpaste.
My baby swallowed a bit of toothpaste! What should I do?
Most baby’s tend to swallow a small amount of toothpaste and those from reputed brands are formulated with this in mind. Swallowing toothpaste should not be a problem if you use the quantity of toothpaste recommended above, but if they repetitively do this then you might want to use an alternative. If your baby has swallowed too much toothpaste, they may exhibit nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting tendencies. Please take them to a medical practitioner as soon as possible if this happens.
How do I get my baby to let me brush her teeth? She doesn’t seem to like it.
You can try counting, or sing a song they love and then stop as soon as the song is done. This will help them understand that the brushing will get over as soon as the song is over. You can also consider using distractions like letting them play with the faucet under your supervision, or play with gentle foam or bubbles formulated for babies.
You can also use rewards to help them build this into a positive habit.
For children aged two or above, you can consider brushing along with them while explaining the benefits of brushing and they may absorb the benefits and want to do it themselves.
We wish you all the best to help your child take care of the teeth that they were gifted with.
