Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth: How Soon is Too Soon?

January 27, 2012
Category: Dental
Tags: Pediatric   Oral Hygiene   Infant  

It’s never too early to establish good dental health habits. Starting at birth, you can begin promoting good oral hygiene for your baby that will last a lifetime.  Even before your baby sports his first tooth, you should wipe his gums clean each day with a soft, moist cloth.  Including regular mouth cleanings as a part of the baby’s daily routine will also make it easier to transition into tooth brushing later on and help prevent future dental problems.

Tooth decay affects children in the U.S. more than any other chronic infectious disease. Decay or lost baby teeth can lead to problems with eating, speaking and issues with permanent teeth later in life.  For this reason, the sooner you introduce good oral hygiene as a regular part of your baby’s routine the better.

Tooth Brushing and Little Mouths
As soon as your child’s first tooth erupts, usually between 6 and 12 months of age, you should begin brushing and cleaning the tooth regularly.  After meals and before bedtime, gently wipe the first  tooth with a damp cloth. You can also use a soft, child-sized toothbrush with water and fluoride-free toothpaste to clean the teeth and gums.

Once your child gets a little older and develops more teeth, allow your child to brush on his own with your supervision.  This will help establish good brushing habits at a young age. Follow the child’s brushing with a more thorough cleaning of your own until the child is old enough to handle the task of brushing without your assistance.

By your child’s first birthday, schedule a visit to the dentist. This is a great time for your child to get to know the dentist and for parents to discuss how to care for their child’s mouth, appropriate use of fluoride, proper nutrition, milestones of dental development and other preventive care. Grove Dental has extremely gentle, experienced pediatric dentists on staff at all four office locations, dedicated exclusively to treating kids.

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