How do you take care of one year old's teeth?

Brittany - posted on 06/03/2010

There are soft finger toothbrushes for infants that my dentist suggested. They're gentle and the bristles are plastic and don't come off. You can usually find them near oragel and they come with the toothpaste. We have two, since our daughter stole our first...

Darlene - posted on 06/02/2010

OMG, I am so happy i read this one, I had no idea we where supposed to start brushing this soon. No one had ever mentioned this to me.. My son is 14 months old, and the most i do is wipe his teeth down with a cloth when he lets me. First thing tomorrow we are off to get him a tooth brush. Thanks so much moms!!

Jayne - posted on 05/11/2010

I am so shocked that your pead told you it is ok not to brush if your child does not like it it's just the worst advice for oral health. This is totally Irresponsible as soon as your childs tooth erupts you need to brush twice a day all food have sugars in them this will cause tooth decay quite fast if brushing is not undertaken. I have seen toddlers as young as 20 months old be put to sleep to have all primary teeth removed as teeth have not been brushed and the child has had a sugery diet. My son is not allowed pop or juice or sugary snacks he got a treat after his lunch on a saturday which is some choc buttons thats all. It's so important that we as parents care for there teeth to prevent tooth ache abcess's and extractions, its only 6 mins out of every day. My son hates it but it is tuff luck its soon over with and he is happy again i would rather hold him down to brush them than a dentist holding him down and strapping on a gas maske.

Megan - posted on 05/10/2010

Might i add, My daughter got her first teeth at 5 months, and i've been doing it that way ever since... If you dont brush your kids teeth, you're basically teaching them its okay not too, then when you try to get them to do it, they might just have the attitude "well i never used to have to" my friends little ones do that, because she never brushed their teeth until they were like 2 and a half...

Megan - posted on 05/10/2010

Toothbrush with toothpaste (no whitening and/or adult toothpaste, I give kids colgate soft mint) and i brush my daughters teeth twice a day. Not sure what your pediatrician recommends where you live, but we NEED to brush our kids teeth with fluoride as soon as they come through the surface, because our water here has absolutely no fluoride in it. AGAINST POPULAR BELIEF, FLUORIDE IS NOT BAD FOR YOUR BABY. Just only put a smudge on their toothbrush, or the taste might irritate them. You should probably be using SOME type of toothpaste, even if its that baby crap that's flavored. You will be doing your child a HUGE favor in the long run with their teeth hygiene...

Charity - posted on 05/06/2010

I have a 14 month old who has 8 teeth. I can't get her sit still when I change her clothes. I'm not even going to attempt to brush her teeth until she gets between 2 or 3. It just depends on the baby's willingness to cooperate. But if they don't want to, don't worry about it. Her pediatrician says it's not that important right now. As long as they are eating healthy and drinking healthy, their teeth should be fine.

Brooke - posted on 05/06/2010

At some pediatric dentist you can buy wipes also. I've been brushing my sons teeth since before he got teeth so brushing hsi gums and wiping them.. I took him to the dentist right after he turned one for his first cleening and bought these wipey things to wipe his gums.. So I brush his teeth in the mornign before daycare at night and then after his night milk cup I wipe his gums with the wipey's b/c he fights it less... Good luck..

Avni - posted on 05/06/2010

Thank you very much to all of you! That has been really very helpful and enlightening....

Lerato - posted on 05/02/2010

Aquafresh also has Milk-teeth range
toothbrush - 0 to3 years, 3 to 4 years, 4 to 5 years and then 5 to 6 years.
and the toothpaste has low floride, best suited for babies, even if they swallow it, they wont get sick - and it taste nice

Ivy - posted on 05/02/2010

In the UK, stores carry low fluoride toothpaste and toothbrushes for babies and children. Her first teeth appeared at 7.5 months and she is now almost 14 months old. I brush my daughter's teeth first and I say "mommy do it." Then when I am done brushing, I say "Samantha do it." She waits for her turn and sometimes it isn't easy brushing her teeth when she is teething, but it is still done. As long as you do the same thing each time, your child will get use to it. My daughter looks forward to having her teeth brushed now and will often ask to have it brushed if she is in the bathroom with me.

Carrie - posted on 05/01/2010

My son got his first teeth at 3 months!!! so we've been brushing for awhile. He loves to chew his brush, but the only way I can get him to let me actually brush his, is for us to brush each others teeth. He is so focused on brushing momma's teeth, that he doesn't even realise that his are getting brushed. plus it's really sweet :)

Linda - posted on 04/30/2010

Just keep doing what you are doing. I read some where that we need to assist our babies/tots with brushing their teeth up to the age of five. They also recommended brushing both in the morning and night. There are plenty of training toothpaste that you can use to train your little one (just make sure is flouride free).

Jayne - posted on 04/30/2010

My son is 14 months old and i have been brushing his teeth since his first tooth erupted he was 6 months and he really hates it he screams and thrashes about so i have to wrap him in a towel and lay him across my knee and brush them through the screaming fit. It is so so important to brush them twice a day despite the fight and upset you feel about them not liking it.Good oral health will set them in good stead for later life.
I am a dental nurse and i see many toddlers and children go through general anaesthetics for rampant tooth decay as parents either dont want to upset their children brushing them or they eat nothing but sugary snaks.
Good luck to all you mummy at brush time its hard work for sure.

Lerato - posted on 04/30/2010

Colgate has toothpaste (baby-friendly) from 0 yrs to 6 yrs - and special brushes for the age groups



I guess i am on the right path then - because my daughter's most favourite toy right now is my tooth brush - she emulates me, she can chew that for hours on end, at time even dip it into her food and try to use it as cutlery - needless to say that i had to buy another toothbrush for the both of us, but she still cries for my old brush.

Michelle - posted on 04/29/2010

same with my 13 months old daughter. she's chewing her toothbrush but i just let her do it while im brushing my teeth also so she'll get use to it. i sometimes say uhuh when she's trying to do what i did and hum a song to make it fun. when im done brushing my teeth she's also done chewing her toothbrush. she won't let me brush her teeth so what i did to really clean her little teeth is to wipe them with a wet washcloth. good luck! :)

Cathi - posted on 04/29/2010

I do not let my son chew on the toothbrush! Those little bristles come out quite easily when chewed. I hold the back of his neck and he lets me brush them. Safety First makes a silicone one, which I give to him. He can chew on that one, and nothing can be swallowed. Also, he really liked chewing on the silicone one when his teeth were coming in, I kept it in the fridge. My son started teething at 6mos, and now has 16 teeth, including his one year molars. I use Toddler Toothpaste, which is flouride free and safe if swallowed. I use the toothpaste twice a day, breakfast and supper, and brush with just plain water after lunch and at bath time. You need to brush her teeth at the very least twice a day. Just keep at it, she will get use to it, just like everything else.

Marie - posted on 04/28/2010

I have twin girls, and we brush our teeth all together every morning after breakfast and in the tub every night.
My girls won't let me help them...

They will chew on the brush but clamp down if I try to get some strokes on their teeth.

At some points, I have found saying "Mommy brushes her tooth" showing them and then asking "Can I brush yours?" to work...

But lately nothing I do will open those little mouths for long enough to actually brush.

As I understood the information- It's very important to keep their teeth brushed and it's even recommended to lay them on your lap and just brush them.

But honestly, it is most important to just build the habit right now.. As frustrating as that can be :P

Jennifer - posted on 04/27/2010

I brush my son's teeth with just a toothbrush once a day. When I brush my teeth, sometimes I'll hand him his to let him try. I want him to get accustomed to his teeth being brushed.

Lady - posted on 04/27/2010

Your doing fine, just let her chew on it and let her watch you brush your teeth, she'll soon pick it up. Once she's had a go say mummys turn now! take the brush get her to go AAHHH!!! with her mouth open and just gently give the teeth a little brush down strokes on the top teeth up strokes on the bottom - no need to force it right now it just trying to set up good practice for later in life.