When do I start brushing baby’s teeth?
One of the things that has mystified me all through the first year of our new baby’s teeth is the advice around oral hygiene, specifically brushing baby’s teeth. When should I start brushing baby’s teeth? Should I use toothpaste. Do I need to use a special toothpaste for babies or regular toothpaste to brush baby’s teeth?
My understanding has always been that milk teeth are something temporary, something that will be lost and hence there is not much need to worry about them. I don’t remember what age I started brushing my teeth, but I certainly don’t think my parents’ generation were brushing baby teeth as soon as the first pearly whites appeared.
From the research I have done for this article I am now aware of several reasons why brushing baby’s teeth is important.
Appearance – it may be obvious but teeth are part of your baby’s appearance, so brushing babies teeth will prolong their life
Eating – we need our teeth (milk and permanent) to eat!
Speaking – teeth play an important part in the formation of many phonetic sounds, and hence are important in the development of speech
Permanent teeth positions – baby teeth are in the same positions in the gums as permanent teeth. It’s important that the positions are maintained so that, when the permanent teeth do come along, they are in the right place. There’s a good financial reason here too – orthodontic treatment for your child in later life is expensive
The consensus advice on when to start brushing baby’s teeth and how to brush baby’s teeth:
- Start brushing as soon as teeth appear
- Buy a brush with soft bristles, and replace it every three months
- Use a low-fluoride childrens’ toothpaste, just a pea sized amount. Encourage your child to spit out toothpaste as soon as they can
- Use small, gentle circular movements around the area where teeth and gums meet
Finally, on the subject of taking baby to the dentist, the reasons for going as early as possible seem to be psychological as much as physical.
It’s good to get baby used to going to the dentist at an early age so they are comfortable with the experience. In the UK, for example, it is possible to register babies with a National Health Service (NHS) dentist as young as six months.
The one thing many of us will not want to pass on to our children is a hang up about visiting the dentist, and so beginning oral hygiene and dentist visits for baby earlier, rather than later, can only be a good thing.
