Brushing Teeth

Becky - posted on 03/02/2009

I started brushing my son's teeth as soon as I realized he was teething (could tell a tooth was coming but wasn't in yet). His dentist said it is very important to brush them 2x a day and showed me the proper way to hold him and brush his teeth. He loved it at first...until his 1st molar came in. Now he hates it. Won't let me brush his teeth. I have to trick him to get him to open his mouth to let me brush them. I am thinking about trying one of the brush heads that came with our sonic brush set. It came with 3 heads...so maybe he will allow that as it is quicker. We use that baby toothpaste (flouride free) and it comes it apple banana flavor...he loves the taste of it. Also, since we don't have flouride in our water, the pediatrician put him on Flouride drops. Anyone else use them?

Kaci - posted on 02/26/2009

they sell stuff in the store just to brush the gums too you can get them at walgreens or wal-mart my son has 12 teeth and my mom helps me brush his teeth its something you put on your finger then stick toothpaste on the little brush

Silvia - posted on 02/25/2009

I start brushing my son's teeth a week ago and he loves it. You can find at Target the 3 toddler tooth brush kit and i use Orajel toothpaste is fluoride free and is safe to swallow. My son is 10 month's old and he loves the brushing time :). Hope this will help.

Rachelle - posted on 02/25/2009

i was told by a nurse to put barley any toothpaste on the toothbrush just enough to get her used to it...i give her the tooth brush after her bath and let her brush her teeth she usually bites on it and plays with it but i then once she is done i brush them gently but i like to let her do it herself...so as she gets older shes not asking me to brush her teeth for it plus she doesn't like when i do it for her she is a very independent baby...thank god

Kerri - posted on 02/25/2009

I am teaching my daughter how to brush her teeth because she is still nursing once or twice a night.  We have training toothbrushes, and I let her hold one of the brushes while I wipe her teeth.  She does pretty well biting the brush, and she likes to mimic what I do.  We are also using Weleda Children's Tooth Gel, which is natural safe to swallow.

Aimee - posted on 02/24/2009

I brush my teeth first and let him watch me. Then I put a little flouride-free toothpaste on his toothbrush, brush his teeth for a few seconds and then let him do it. He loves it because he is doing what his momma is doing!

Dawn - posted on 02/24/2009

I read somewhere on here that a mom used a toothbrush as a teether when the kids started cutting teeth. There is the soft (bristles) and the hard part. Monitor them. I had probs w/ my oldest son, but found out that he needed his tongue clipped. He could not lift his tongue to the roof of his mouth. My second son wanted to try toothpaste, so we let him, and he hated it. He didn't want to brush his teeth again. Had to physically hold him down and do it. I started brushing my twins as soon as I saw teeth. They use the toothbrush as a teether now. Hope to have no probs w/ them. We'll see.

Jessi - posted on 02/23/2009

My dentist told me what many other people are saying. Start brushing them when they get them. Use a baby toothbrush, the little rubber finger one and baby toothpaste. The dentist said it's more to get them used to the idea than it really is to clean their teeth.

Ashleigh - posted on 02/22/2009

I started brushing my sons teeth as soon as he got them.  He doesn't really let me brush them too much, but I feel as long as we have the routine in place, he will get the hang of it eventually!

Kathryn - posted on 02/22/2009

Yes, you must start brushing teeth as soon as they appear. I will caution about the rubber finger toothbrushes, though. They are not as effective as a regular soft toothbrush. I do not use toothpaste, just water. If you choose to use toothpaste, make sure it is fluoride-free until the baby is able to spit out toothpaste. None of my sons ever liked having their teeth brushed, but I do it regardless twice a day, as oral hygiene is really important. Also important to floss the teeth if they are close together. Good luck!

Geralyn - posted on 02/22/2009

Thank you, thank you for your replies! 

Chantel - posted on 02/21/2009

I have a rubber finger brush and special baby toothpaste. She loves it. Opens her mouth with a big smile when she sees me with it! I think the toothpaste is apple cinnamon and safe to swallow. Its by Gerber and I got it in Walmart.

Tracy - posted on 02/21/2009

Hi Geralyn

My son has 6 teeth with a 7th one breaking through.  I started brushing his teeth last week.  I bought a set of 3 baby toothbrushes.  They are each marked for the appropriate age.  The one we're using now has soft rubber "bristles" which are gentle on baby's gums.  I'm using Aquafresh (milk teeth) toothpaste which is made for little one's age 0-3 years.  My son also doesn't like having anything stuck in his mouth (unless it's him putting something in his mouth) so brushing his teeth is quite a challenge but I will persevere and do it twice a day everyday because this will set a pattern and he'll learn that brushing his teeth is an important part of his day.  I think you should brush your child's teeth as soon as possible.  I was also advised by our medical aid that we should start it as soon as the first tooth appears.

All the best,

Tracy

Melissa - posted on 02/21/2009

You should start brushing his teeth, it is reccommended to start as early as possible. You can start with a finger brush, its like a rubber tip that covers your finger. If he bites then you can use a toothbrush. They make ones for infants that are small for their mouth. I do not use tooth paste with my daughter. To me its just a bunch of chemicals. You shouldn't use regular tooth paste until they know how to not swallow it. My daughter has always hated to get her teeth brushed. I show her that I brush my teeth and then I keep saying brush your teeth, open up. Sometimes I have to gently push her lip down so I can at least touch her teeth. I know that if I don't keep trying she will fight me more when she gets bigger.