Does anyone brush their babies teeth and gums yet?

Hollie - posted on 02/09/2010

my son is about to turn one and i brush his teeth and gums.....i think it is good for him he likes it ....he likes to chew on the tooth brush! and they do get stinky breathe sometimes and it really helps

Vicky - posted on 02/09/2010

I started both my kids of by letting them chew on the toothbrush and getting used of the feel of it in their mouth. I found with my son he picked up brushing his teeth fast by doing this and by watching me. I dont use childrens toothpaste until the age of 2 as it is not necessary, and most definatley wouldnt use a tooth paste with flouride in it until the age of 5. (unless of course I lived somewhere that there was little to no flouride in drinking water) I have worked in the denatl industry for many years and have never come across babys teeth that come out rotten! Most of the time teeth may come out discoloured if the mother was taking antibiotics with Tetracycline. Although this is not used often anymore.
Overall just make it fun for them and when old enough take them to the dentist even if its just for a ride in the chair.
And mums if you are scared of the dentist dont let your child know as this puts the fear into them and makes dental visits for years to come unpleasant! (talking from experience)

Victoria - posted on 02/08/2010

i use a teething toothpaste, my baby has 4 teeth, i brush them once or twice a day. he loves the feeling of the brush on his gums because it tickles. he always giggles. also, he likes the taste of the toothpaste. besides, teeth are teeth, who wants to end up with a two year old with fillings in their teeth?

Elysia - posted on 02/08/2010

i allow my son to hold his tooth brush and chew on it throughout his bath and then i give them a bit of a scrub b4 he gets out, i also try and have him around when im brushing my teeth so he sees that mummy does it as well and is more likely to wanna try

Anna - posted on 02/08/2010

My son is 10 months old and only has two teeth on the bottom. we brush twice a day with an infant toothbrush and toothpaste to clean his mouth and to teach good oral hygeine. I think it is important to start early. He is getting his two top teeth in now. Once they pop through I will take him to my next Dentist appointment (as recommended by my dentist) so he can see Mommy at the dentist and doing well with the cleaning, etc. That way when he goes for his first time, he isn't afraid.

Vanessa - posted on 02/07/2010

Andrea,

My pediatrician suggested that we start brushing her teeth as soon as the first tooth came in. However, a friend of mine is a dental hygienist and she told me that when you first start brushing your baby's teeth, start by just letting them hold the tooth brush and putting it inside their mouths by themselves. This will help them get use to the feeling of the bristles on their gums, and they'll be more accepting of allowing you to brush them with the paste. So that's what we ended up doing. We started letting her brush her own teeth really, without helping her, even though she had no idea what she was doing! Now she loves the toothbrush. Just a tip... and we started her when she was about 7-8 months. She is now 10 months.

Elysia - posted on 02/07/2010

my son is now almost 11months old and just cutting his 6th tooth, ive been brushing his teeth and gums since 6months when his first tooth cut. Alot of nurses and books etc recomend just using a soft cloth to begin with but i found he had more fun sucking on it so i bought a baby tooth brush that said from 6months (colgate) but my child hood nurse and alot of the information i have researched do recomend that u dont use tooth paste until about 2yrs and even then it should b a low flouride childs toothpaste. And personally i dont think its to young to start they sooner they learn, hopefully the less hassles later when they really have to brush. Hope this helps

Heather - posted on 02/06/2010

Yes when I brush my teeth I give my son a tooth brush and he "brushes" his teeth. It helps with his breath and he is learning to brush.

Tara - posted on 02/05/2010

My 10 month old daughter has bad breath, too sometimes. I am using a toothbrush that came with the baby grooming kit we purchased. I do her teeth & try to get to her gums, and she likes it. But she doesn't like it if I stick the toothbrush too far into her mouth. the most important thing is to brush her teeth, which she only has front teeth so far, so we haven't had an issue. I've heard you can also wipe the teeth & gums with clean gauze. Good luck!

Liz - posted on 02/05/2010

I brush my daughters teeth (she has 2) especially at night. I bought a little finger brush and started with just that to get her used to the sensation, then moved onto a childrens/baby toothbrush with a little orajel baby toothpaste on it. everything i have read said to make sure you do it before they go to bed at night. hope that helps.

Christina - posted on 02/03/2010

my son is 10 months old and i bought a baby toothbrush and little bear fluoride free toothpaste. I brush his teeth but sometimes he fights me. When he first started getting his teeth in i would scrub his teeth with my finger when he was in he bathtub but now that he has six teeth i thought that a toothbrush would be more appropriate and easier

Sandi - posted on 02/03/2010

I forgot to say we use Wisdom Kids Step-by-Step Toothbrush 0-2 Years with Aquafresh Milk Teeth Toothpaste

Samantha - posted on 02/03/2010

I brush my daughter's teeth every night. Part of our bedtime routine. She is 10 months old and has 7 teeth. I use a rubber toothbrush thing that goes over my finger and put a little bit of infant toothpaste on it. My dentist gave it to me in a gift when I was pregnant. My daughter loves the taste of the toothpaste. It is good for any kids over the age of 4 months.

Sandi - posted on 02/03/2010

Hi Andrea,



I started brushing my daughters teeth as soon as they came in (5 1/2months). I fugured the sooner we get her used to it the better. She opens her mouth when I say "aah" which is what I say when I'm feeding her and she doesn't open wide enough. She wouldn't let me brush side to side like we brush so I just put the brush in her mouth (like a spoon) then brushed over her tooth as I pulled it out. I did the same for her gums, only brushing on the outward motion. Then I got a wet sponge and said "aah" again, she opened her mouth and I squeezed the water into her mouth to rinse. After I rinsed the brush I gave it to her and told her to "brush your teeth" in a playful voice. She put it in her mouth, bit down and dragged the brush over her teeth.



Now she's older and eats the sponge :/ so we use a cup to rinse. She knows what I'm doing now so she lets me do circular motions for top and bottom teeth. She still only knows how to brush her bottom teeth though.



Try not to stress about brushing his teeth properly for the first month of brushing, just get him used to the idea of it. If you think about it, he probably thinks you are trying to feed him something but shoving the spoon back and forth so it's freaking him out a little. Larna likes the sounds of the bristles when she brushes. Also I bought a cute red ladybird toothbrush holder off ebay, it automatically opens and closes when you put the brush back or take it out. They do green and blue too for boys, only 99p. She looks at it when I tell her it's time to brush her teeth. It's just another game to her.



Hope you get some ideas from this & best of luck!

Jennie - posted on 02/02/2010

Hi - would also love to hear from someone regarding how you actually go about brushing their teeth. My little one started teething quite early and has 8 teeth at 10 months, but will not let me near her with a tooth brush....she has a tantrum of volcanic proportions. What I now do just so that there is some flouride in her mouth, is to put tooth paste on her brush and hand it to her, and she is happy to suck the toothpaste and chew the toothbrush. I realise this is not enough, but would love some tips on how to try and encourage her to let me do the brushing.

Mellissa - posted on 02/02/2010

my son is 11moths and i brush his 4 little teeth but i have not used toothpaste just until he gets used to it, for now i just use water which he seems to be going well with it , but the next step is the tooth paste

hope this help good luck

Elsie - posted on 02/02/2010

i started brushing my daughters teeth at 6 months its really important cause they can get gum disease from wt i read.

Steph - posted on 02/01/2010

hi my son is 10 months old and he got his teeth at 6 months so we started to brush his teeth at 7 months when he had 3 teeth. We started to do it everytime he had a bath to get him used to it. Now he has them brushed twice a day. He seems to love it, I think this is because we used to give him the toothbrush with no toothpaste on it and it went straight in his mouth. So we have built up slowly and now he lets us hold it and he opens his mouth. But thats not saying that when the froth builds up he spits it ut. I think it just depends how you go about doing it. I hope this helps take care x

Amy - posted on 02/01/2010

We have a 'toothbrush' that is a finger sleeve with soft bristles for our daughter. The toothpaste tastes like bubble gum and we brush once a day to get her used to it. It's by Orajel, has elmo on it. Our daughter gets excited when she sees us getting it out. My mom is a dental assistant n said even when a baby doesnt have teeth, its good to brush cuz they can have rotted teeth before they even come in. Good habit to start:)

Theresa - posted on 01/31/2010

yep i brush my little ones teeth everyday

Kayla - posted on 01/31/2010

We started brushing our daughters gums with a finger brush when she stopped nursing and started formula. Once her first tooth came through we switched to a tooth brush. I did the same with my son and his teeth are just perfect...not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Aundraya - posted on 01/26/2010

My daughter is 10 months old, and has two teeth. I started brushing them last month just to get her used to the feel of the brush. She seemed to like it, but lately she's been pushing the brush out of her mouth more frequently. I give her a few seconds, then try again, but never for long periods of time. My pediatrician told me that she doesn't really need to have her teeth cleaned at this point, but it is good to get her used to the idea. I let her hole the brush, and I guide her hand to where it goes. It's always an interesting thing. Good luck!

Beck - posted on 01/26/2010

My bub, has a few toothbrushes that he plays with (in high chair / bath - even in the car!, he does a good job of brushing his 4 toothy pegs!! we demonstrate tooth brushing also.

Evelyn - posted on 01/25/2010

YES! I brush his teeth every night before bed and sometimes in the mornings (if I remember.) He is 10 months old today, and he is cutting his 9th tooth! One thing I do with my son is I brush them for a few seconds and he throws a fit, then I hand the toothbrush to HIM, which makes him instantly happy and he stops fussing. And ofcourse, the toothbrush goes straight to his mouth, so I let him play with it for as long as he wants, so he basically finishes the job for me!

Sadie - posted on 01/24/2010

my daughter got teeth at 3 months and shes 10 months as of last sunday, i just started brushing her teeth. i did it because she loves watching me brush mine, she seems to enjoy it.

Kerry - posted on 01/24/2010

i brush my son's teeth and gums- have been since he started cutting his first tooth at 4 months, and try to do it a few times a week- i read that you should do it every night, but i don't always remember to. he seems to like the toothpaste- apples and banana flavor- and chews on my finger brush as i brush.

Kara - posted on 01/24/2010

I brush my babies teeth as soon as they start erupting. I just let him bite down on it and try to eat it if thats what he wants to do just so he can get used to having the toothbrush in his mouth and slowly brush gently. Don't worry if you don't get them clean all at once, the idea is to get them used to it first and then use them for what they're meant for. My baby is 10 mths old and he loves getting his teeth brushed now.

Pamela - posted on 01/23/2010

I started when he got his first teeth at 5 months I did this with his brother too it just gets them in the habit even if there not really brushing them properly ..

Lisa - posted on 01/23/2010

I brush my daughters teeth with just water twice a day but they don't recommend baby toothpaste until your child can spit it out unless it is flouride free.

Karen - posted on 01/23/2010

My son Theo (10 months) only has 2 teeth but as soon as his first tooth appeared we started the tooth brushing routine. I brush my teeth at the same time and he loves it. Of course not a lot of actual brushing is happening at this stage but as his teeth have really only just popped through his gums I don't want to be too rough with him. Plus I think the benefit of the baby toothpaste should help him with oral hygiene

Avni - posted on 01/23/2010

Hello Andrea,

We cleaned our lill 10 month bub starting frm 3 month.(i have 2 lill girl n the younger one was fussing over not brushing her teeth since the baby didn't) The teeth came in few days later so it worked out just as well. I do recommend using the baby toothpaste we also clean his his tongue after almost every feed with a silicone bristled baby toothbrush by first year. Hope that helps. :)

Hannah - posted on 01/23/2010

just a quick one my 10mth old has no teeth yet should i be brushing his gums or wait till his teeth are through? also is there anything i can do to speed up the process??

Amber - posted on 01/23/2010

My son just turned 10 months. He got his first 2 teeth when he was 6 months. He has 3 more teeth coming in. I have been brushing his teeth and gums every morning and before bed since he was 6 months old. I got him a step 1 baby toothbrush and flavorless baby toothpaste. He loves having his teeth brushed. Then again, he loves anything he can put in his mouth right now. :)

Cortney - posted on 01/22/2010

My lactation consultant told me to wipe my daughters mouth out at least once a day from birth to stop her from getting a yeast infection in her mouth (i forget the name of it but thats what is is.. EW could you imagine)... so before she got teeth I would wipe out her mouth with a wet wash cloth every night before bed...

She now has 8 teeth and in the morning i give her her toothbrush when i have mine and she sits there and chews on it and acts like she is brushing like mommy.. and then at night have the finger toothbrush to really get the plaque and stuff off now that she is eating a lot of table foods.. she HATES it.. and my husband yells at me everynight because she cries.. but he wont be yelling 6 years from now when she doesnt need any cavaties filled! :-)

Shannon - posted on 01/22/2010

Hi Andrea,
My daughter is just now 10 months old and I use a finger brush kit with flouride free tooth paste every night after dinner. Luckily my child likes it. I try to act as if it's the coolest thing in the world and it seems to work. She usually giggles when I brush her teeth. While I'm sure it is important to make sure that you are cleaning their gums and few teeth at this age, I would assume it's probably more important that you are actually getting the child used to having the expirience of brushing their teeth so that they are used to having someone help them maintain their dental hygeine. I would assume this might make future dental visits easier. ;-)

Tommy-Sheena - posted on 01/22/2010

My daughter is now 10 months and got her first tooth around 6 1/2 months. She now has 8 teeth!! She got alot all at once. So yes we brush her teeth every morning and night. Even if they dont have teeth its good to brush the gums to they get used to it.

TIFFANIE - posted on 01/21/2010

I used to work for a pediatric dentist and as soon as a tooth pops up you should be brushing it, you do not need to use toothpaste but if you do be sure to get the flouride free kind. For my 10 month old I use it cause he is more cooperative once he tastes it. They probably won't like it at first but will get used to it, after you brush let him/her play with the toothbrush for a while. You should do am and pm brushings just like you do for yourself, this will help make good habits for when he is bigger. I hope that helps :-) Happy brushing

Shauneen - posted on 01/21/2010

Absolutely! Most dentists recommend you start brushing as soon as the first tooth erupts. My daughter got her first tooth at 6 months. She is 10 months now and has the 8th one on the way. We 'brush' teeth together every morning. I just have to pick up her toothbrush and shes already half climbing my leg. She loves chewing and sucking on the brush. Good habits start young even if she isnt really brushing!

Chelsea - posted on 01/20/2010

my daughter doesnt have any teeth yet so i dont brush her gums everynight, we give her a bath every 2-3 days and i brush her gums we we get her lotioned up and dressed after her baths. She loves the little finger brushes

Krystal - posted on 01/20/2010

I let Wil chew on his toothbrush when he's in the bath. If i try and brush them (he has 5) he just chomps on the brush

Alexis - posted on 01/20/2010

We brush our daughter's teeth twice a day. She will be 10 mos on the 28th...she got her bottom two at 6 mos and her top two about a week ago. She's been to the dentist already and so far so good, but he did recommend brushing/wiping her teeth and gums as often as we brush or as often as she eats.

Connie - posted on 01/20/2010

my son is 10months n he has 9teeth, i brush his teeth morning n night, he loved it, he had his first 2teeth when he was 3months and as soon as they popped through i started brushing them, though recently he seems to not enjoy it as much so ive started brushing my teeth with him, letting him hold the tooth brush himself n he'l sit there n copy what i do, then let me brush them

Kai Schele - posted on 01/20/2010

Yes absolutely, just like i brush my teeth in the morning and night I take my son with me and "brush" his teeth. I do this for two reasons, 1. because hes eating alot mor table food, and their teeth need taking care of just like ours, and 2. bacause i want him to develop the habbit of brushing twice a day. when he was about 4 monhs old i began to use the orajel teeth & gum cleanser, it comes with a little rubber thingy with little bristles on it that u stick on your finger and rub around in baby's mouth, also comes with FLUORIDE-FREE tooth gel. He just got his first real tooth brush yesterday! If you are going to start make sure you use the flouride-free tooth paste because its safe to swallow and trust me they will swallow it!

Kristina - posted on 01/20/2010

Hi Andrea,



My daughter will be 10 months on January 30th. She got her first tooth around 7 months and now has her 2 bottom teeth and her 2 top teeth are starting to come through as well. Our pediatrician recommended giving her 1/2 eye dropper of flouride every day and I also brush her teeth/gum 2x/day with baby toothpaste! Hope this helps!!!