When to Start Using Tooth Paste and How Much

It is vital to ensure healthy dental hygiene for your child. Even if the teeth are only temporary, it is good to establish oral health practices. Thus, your child can have good dental health into adulthood.

Furthermore, decayed teeth can affect your child’s good nutrition and normal speech development. You may wonder when to start using fluoride toothpaste for your child.

The best kids dentist in Richmond Texas, recommends that you start brushing your child’s teeth soon after the first tooth emerges. However, smear a small quantity of fluoride toothpaste on your kid’s toothbrush. Our Pediatric dentist in Sugar Land Texas, can help you find a proper toothbrush.

Below is what you need to know on when to start using toothpaste and how much.

When Can I Start Brushing My Kid’s Teeth?

Most parents wait until the baby’s first teeth grow to begin brushing the teeth. But unknown to them, they should begin cleaning the baby’s gums way before they have teeth. You can do this using a clean damp washcloth or a gauze pad dipped in water then gently rub your baby’s gums. Ensure you clean your kid’s gums and the front of their tongue after meals and bedtime.

Later, when the first tooth pushes through, you can start toothbrushing. A pediatric dentist in Sugar Land, Texas, recommends using a soft-bristled baby toothbrush. Moisten the brush with water before smearing fluoride toothpaste the size of a rice grain. Typically, a baby toothbrush will have three or fewer rows of bristles.

The baby’s toothbrush needs to be used for only about three months. Otherwise, mouth bacteria may start building up. Also, throw away your baby’s toothbrush if it has become rough at the edges.

Can I Use Fluoride Toothpaste to Brush My Baby?

According to ADA recommendation, you should not use fluoride toothpaste on children below two years old. So, when is fluoride toothpaste safe for babies? After two years, you can use a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste for baby to brush your kid’s teeth. Our best kids dentist in Richmond Texas, suggests using baby fluoride toothpaste.

Consequently, your child won’t ingest and swallow too much fluoride since this toothpaste has low concentrations. In what quantity is fluoride toothpaste safe for babies? It would help if you smeared toothpaste the size of a rice grain. Then progress to a pea-sized smear of toothpaste at age three. By this time, your baby would have learned to spit after brushing.

Besides, it would be best if you used a children’s toothbrush. Children’s gums are sensitive; hence the soft-bristled toddler’s brush will not damage the gums. Avoid using fluoride toothpaste on toddlers below 6 months.

How Frequent Should I Brush My Baby’s Teeth?

You can brush your toddler’s teeth once a day during infancy. Nonetheless, you will only need to clean the gums with a gauze pad before teething starts. When the baby begins eating semi-solid foods but before teething, clean them after every meal.

If your child already has multiple teeth, you can brush them twice daily. That is in the morning and evening, using toothpaste the size of rice grain. You can also start to floss your kid’s teeth at least once a day. They may have some sold food lodged in between the teeth.

How Do I Brush My Baby’s Teeth?

The approach of brushing your baby’s teeth depends on their age and the number of teeth they have. Here is how to brush your baby’s teeth.

Before Your Child Has Teeth

At this point, your attention is on cleaning the gums. You can clean your baby’s gums with a washcloth or gauze pad and water. Alternatively, you may use a finger brush that is soft and gentle on the gums with water.

As our best kids dentist in Richmond, Texas, recommends, you should not use fluoride toothpaste. As a result, wipe the gums gently, including the tongue and under the lips, to minimize the buildup of bacteria.

When Your Child Has Teeth but Cannot Spit

Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to gently brush the teeth’ front, back, and top surfaces in circles. You should also brush along the gumline of your baby. You can smear a tiny amount of toothpaste if your child is below three years. According to ADA recommendation, Hello Kid’s Fluoride toothpaste is the best and safest use for children. It is efficient and can effectively stop tooth decay if used as directed.

While brushing, your child should bend forward and downwards to prevent ingesting the toothpaste. Meanwhile, always encourage your kid to spit out the toothpaste.

When Should My Child Start Visiting a Dentist?

The perfect time to book your kid’s first meeting with a dentist is soon after having their first tooth. It is a chance to ask the Pediatric dentist how best to take care of your child’s oral health. Your kid’s dentist will also check whether the child’s teeth are coming in correctly.

Additionally, arrange regular dental checkups for your child. Besides promoting good oral health, it ensures dental issues are addressed early. Have the dentist check any warning signs of tooth decay. Most children will have a sweet tooth, thereby the need to focus on oral health.

Ensure you book regular appointments with your best kid’s dentist in Richmond Texas to protect your baby’s oral health.

How Do I Teach My Baby to Brush?

As kids grow, they normally want to try doing what older family members do. Similarly, your baby will likely want to brush when others are brushing. It is the perfect opportunity to let them have a go at it. Though, you should follow up and do more brushing of their teeth.

Allow your baby to watch as you care for your teeth so they develop an interest in brushing. Eventually, they will learn that brushing their teeth is an oral health routine. Hence, they will carry it into their adult life. Buying a fun toothbrush with bright colors can excite your baby to brush.

What Should I Do if My Baby Dislikes Toothbrushing?

Some babies will refuse to have their teeth cleaned. More so, if your baby is teething, it might be experiencing gum soreness and tenderness. If you are struggling to brush your baby’s teeth, you can try the following:

• Let the baby play: Babies are often attracted to a toothbrush. If your baby becomes interested in the toothbrush, let her hold it and play with it. You will be surprised to see your child putting the brush into the mouth.
• Go easy: Normally, the gums of babies are quite sensitive even when they are not teething. Therefore, if your baby dislikes toothbrushing, gently try to clean the baby with a washcloth.
• Show the baby how to brush: Your baby can be encouraged to see you brushing. Thus, you can start brushing your teeth as you try to show your baby how it is done. You may not realize your baby is taking the turn and brushing their teeth.
• Sing a song: Some distractions might be the magic your child needs before they become interested in toothbrushing. You can sing some favorite tunes to your baby as you clean their teeth. The baby may be taken over and give a pleasant toothed smile.

How Do I Choose a Toothbrush for My Baby?

A number of factors will determine the choice of the right toothbrush for your baby. Among the factors to consider are the age and number of teeth.

A finger brush will be the most appropriate if your baby is yet to have teeth. Another alternative would be to use a washcloth. You can clean the baby’s gums using a finger brush or a washcloth and water. Besides, wiping their mouth and gums will check the buildup of bacteria. Consequently, when the baby’s teeth start to grow, the environment will be healthy for good teeth development.

Later, when teething begins, you can use teether-style brushes or those with nubs. At this point, the baby will have learned to eat semi-solid food. So, taking a more active approach to your baby’s oral hygiene is vital. Your baby will start gaining the experience of using something similar to a toothbrush.

Moreover, teether-style brushes and brushes with nubs have fun shape designs. Some will look like sharks or a banana. You can provide them to your baby as a toy during playtime. They are also great in relieving teething discomfort. However, it might be excellent if you did not smear fluoride toothpaste.

When your child has multiple teeth, you can introduce a soft-bristles toothbrush with baby fluoride toothpaste. A toothbrush for children is designed with a smaller head to fit into your baby’s mouth.

In addition, the toothbrush will have bright colors and nice patterns to make them attractive to children. Look for a toothbrush with larger handles so your baby can easily grasp it. Supervising your baby when brushing is also good to ensure the whole mouth is cleaned.

Additional Tips for Keeping Your Baby’s Teeth Healthy

You can leverage several strategies to ensure the good oral health of your baby. Here are some of the tips.

Provide Water After Brushing

Your young baby might not be able to rinse and spit out toothpaste. It will help give your child a bottle of water after toothbrushing.

Showing Healthy Brushing Procedures

While brushing your child’s teeth, teach them how to take care of them. They should start appreciating the need to ensure good dental health. Let them brush their teeth gently instead of scrubbing hard. It would be best if you also encouraged them to spit excess toothpaste out of their mouth. Every time you brush, let your child also brush to develop the habit of brushing twice a day.

Make Brushing an Amusing Activity

Brushing teeth should look like a fun routine activity for your child. You can devise ways to make it a fun and enjoyable activity. For instance, you may play music as you brush. A sticker chart for tracking when your baby brushes can also incentivize your baby to brush their teeth.

Concluding Remarks

You should start ensuring the good oral health of your baby even before teething. Take things into your own hands and start teaching your child about dental health as they grow. Later in life, your child will be thankful you are the reason for their glittering smile. With the help of a dentist, you can ensure your child has healthy teeth and gums. Our Pediatric dentist in Sugar Land Texas can help develop healthy dental habits for your baby. Contact us now to book an appointment.

Alway consult your dentist on when to start using toothpaste for your kids.