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 (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) (Highly recommend) 4.84 (Highly recommend) from 13 votes (1530 Visits)

Taking Care of Your Baby's Teeth

pfallerj by pfallerj Proud Parent(April 2007) (rank 305th)

Do it Every Day
The most important thing you can do for your baby early on is getting him into a teeth cleaning routine. It’s especially important to do it at night, so try to work it into the pre- bedtime schedule.

Use a Soft Bristled

Brush
There are plenty of kid’s toothbrushes out there. Our dentist recommended the Oral-B Stages Stage 2 Toothbrush for Little Kids because it’s extra gentle on his gums and mouth. Our son seems to love the tickling sensation of the bristles. He loves to grab on and gnaw the end of the brush. We can sometimes get a giggle or two when we brush his teeth.

Use Toothpaste Without Flouride
Your dentist might say different, but ours recommended not using a toothpaste with flouride in it. You can usually find tubes of kids’ toothpaste with the other toothpaste or in the baby aisle of a drug or grocery store.

Brush Teeth and Gums
Even though your kid might only have a few teeth, be sure to brush the gums. Plaque and bacteria can build up back there too. Brush in small circles on the front and back of any teeth that have come in, and be sure to give the chewing surfaces TLC as well.

Eat Well
The daily diet is just as important as the way you take care of your baby’s teeth. Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. And if they’re drinking anything but water in a sippy cup, make sure it’s gone within 30 minutes.

Sweets are O.K. in moderation, but try to keep them reserved for mealtimes. Your baby should be getting plenty of calcium anyway, but this mineral is extra important for healthy teeth.

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Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.
ADVICE RATING
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HarrisonsMommy
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | HarrisonsMommy
Toothpaste?
I was told not to use any toothpaste until the child is old enough to not swallow the toothpaste.  Though, if it is flouride free, then it is only the stuff in the toothpaste they are ingesting so no biggie.


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allyp
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | allyp
Stage 1..

I was actually told to use Stage 1 and that's what I'm using now. It even has an age recommendation on it. 4 months-2 yrs old and then Stage 2 is from 2-3yrs.. So on and so on..
And the tooth paste to use Stage 1 also because its safe to swallow and its not what we use and it could harm a baby if they swallow it.



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llmunchkin
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | llmunchkin
Nice Minti Mouths...
Great article - did your dentist say why to use a toothpaste that doesn't contain fluoride?  Just wondering, as we haven't been to the dentist yet for Jaydee, yet we have been very diligent with his dental hygiene since he was a bubs.  (Starting with rubbing his gums with a soft cloth when he started teething - then slowly graduating up from little rubber brushes to a real live one now).


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      pfallerj
April 2007 | pfallerj
Nice Minti Mouths...
Flouride can actually make babies sick if it's swallowed, and chances are a one year old doesn't know that toothpaste isn't something to eat.

Good job with rubbing the gums, we weren't nearly as good as we should have been. :(


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           llmunchkin
April 2007 | llmunchkin
Nice Minti Mouths...
Cool, I thought it might be something like that.  Jaydee has some Jack & Jill banana flavoured low fluoride toothpaste.  He only has a tiny dot of toothpaste - so I think it should be ok, we start by cleaning his teeth properly, then he has a wee turn.


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