- I recently found out
that I was brushing my baby's teeth completely wrong.
Like most parents, I thought it was pretty simple
and I was nailing it.
I used toothpaste, I brushed their teeth twice a day,
and I used a soft bristle toothbrush,
which was made for a child.
But if you live in an area where the water is fluorinated,
toothpaste is actually not recommended
until 18 months of age.
And there's a really good reason for that.
It's because babies will swallow the toothpaste
and if they ingest too much of that toothpaste,
it can lead to them developing a condition
called dental fluorosis,
which causes permanent discoloration
to their adult teeth.
However, if you live in an area
where you don't have access to fluorinated water
or your little one is at higher risk of tooth decay,
then your dentist or doctor
may recommend that you do use toothpaste with your baby.
And this leads me on to the second common mistake
that we often make, and that's using too much toothpaste.
If your little one does require toothpaste
and they're under 18 months of age,
then you should only be using a grain of rice-sized amount
of low fluoride children's toothpaste.
And this will ensure that when your little one
does accidentally swallow the toothpaste
that they're at lower risk
of developing that dental fluorosis.
You can also reduce
the risk of your little one swallowing toothpaste
by slightly angling their head forward
so that any excess toothpaste in their mouth
will just dribble right on out.
Once your little one gets to 18 months of age,
you can start using a pea-sized amount
of low fluoride children's toothpaste.
Something else that might surprise you
is that you should start brushing your baby's gum
well before that first tooth appears.
I know this sounds a little strange,
but by cleaning your baby's gum
before those tooth erupt
means that your little one
is going to be more comfortable and familiar
with the sensation of having their gum rubbed.
And that will mean
that they're going to be more likely to tolerate
the toothbrushing experience.
Now, at this stage, you definitely
don't want to be using a toothbrush with your little one
because that is going be uncomfortable for them.
The way you do it
is by gently rubbing your baby's gum
with a clean, damp face washer
that's wrapped around your finger or using a finger brush,
and you want to be trying to do it twice a day.
When that first tooth arrives, which typically happens
at around four to seven months of age,
you want to swap out that face washer or that finger brush
with an infant toothbrush that has soft bristles
and you want to aim
to brush your little one's teeth twice a day.
Now, if you are really struggling
with brushing your little one's teeth,
it's most important to brush their teeth in the nighttime
because this will ensure that any food or milk
that's inside their mouth
doesn't sit on their teeth overnight.
If your little one really doesn't like
having their teeth brush with that toothbrush,
then you can go back
to using the face washer or the finger brush
but just be aware that your little one
may bite down on your finger,
which can cause you a little bit of discomfort.
Also, you don't need to start
flossing your little one's teeth
until they have two teeth that are touching
and you can't clean between them
so you need to use floss to remove any food
that's stuck between the teeth.
Now, when you start brushing your little one's teeth,
they may resist the process, but it's really important
that you respond to this in the right way.
We all want to make sure
that your little one's experience with toothbrushing
is a positive experience and not traumatic.
If we make it traumatic, then it is highly unlikely
your little one is going to want to have
their teeth brushed in the future.
So you never ever want to hold your baby down
and you never want to lie them down to brush their teeth
because this is going to trigger that gag reflex
and it's going to be quite uncomfortable for your little one.
There are a few things that you can do
to make toothbrushing easier
and avoid those traumatic experiences.
But before we jump into that, if you haven't already,
make sure you download the free developmental checklist
in the description box below.
So the first thing we want to do
is try and get our little one familiar and comfortable
with a rubbing sensation in their mouth,
and you start that by cleaning their gum
well before the first tooth arrives.
The other thing you want to do
is start to brush your teeth in front of your little one.
When you brush your teeth in front of them,
they will see that toothbrushing
is something that everyone does and it doesn't hurt.
So, of course, when you're brushing your teeth,
you want to be smiling, you might even be dancing
to make sure that your little one
doesn't think that you're in any pain.
Also, when you're brushing your teeth,
you can give them their own toothbrush
and babies love to copy
so your little one is highly likely
to place that toothbrush in their mouth.
Now, if you are using an electric toothbrush,
you might want to swap that out for a manual toothbrush
when you are modeling in front of your child
how to brush their teeth
because they're going to be using a manual one.
And if they see you using an electric one,
they're just going to want the exact same thing
and they're also going to be wanting that toothpaste.
In addition to watching you brush your teeth,
you also want to give your a little one
a toothbrush they can have
at certain points throughout the day
and they are just going to be exploring
and interacting with that toothbrush.
So there is no pressure to actually brush their teeth,
it's all about just mouthing it and exploring it,
and this will help them become familiar
with having a toothbrush in their mouth,
and the feel of a toothbrush in their mouth.
So you might want to do this
when your little ones having a bath
or when you're in the lounge room having a play
and you can obviously be watching them
or when they're sitting in the high chair.
When you are brushing your baby's teeth,
the easiest way to do that
is by sitting in front of a mirror,
and then your little one is sitting on your lap
and their head is resting against your chest
so they can see themselves in the mirror.
You might then cup your baby's chin
by putting your hand around their chin,
but that's only if they like you to do that.
If they don't like that, then definitely don't do it.
And you just want to keep it really short and sweet.
So the first time, it might only be for a few seconds
and you might just hum a little song,
and then you might gradually increase the time
that you are doing it.
But initially, they're only going to have that one tooth
so you can make it quite quick,
so that the process is done very quickly.
And then, obviously, you do a big celebration
when you're finish brushing their teeth.
One quick tip that might actually help with this process
is by giving your little one a toothbrush
of their own to hold
and this gives them a sense of ownership
as you're brushing their teeth,
and they may even put that toothbrush into their mouth.
Also, when your little one gags, which they're going to do,
particularly, if you accidentally go
a little bit too far back,
make sure you don't react in a way
that your little one becomes scared.
So when they do gag, you might go,
"Oops, I went a little bit too far."
And then, keep brushing their teeth.
Also, you might just want to start singing a song
with your little one when you brush their teeth
so this can provide them with some sort of distraction
and there's a clear ending to that toothbrushing experience.
Now, your little one, initially,
might not be enjoying that toothbrushing experience
and you might want to stop,
but it's important to remember
that by brushing your little one's teeth,
you are helping to prevent tooth decay
which can be extremely painful
and uncomfortable for children,
and you're also helping to reduce the chances
that they will require dental emergencies in the future.
Also, although baby teeth do fall out eventually,
they play a vital role
in your baby's health and development.
Baby teeth help in the development of the jaw and the mouth.
They also help in producing speech sounds
as well as chewing food that they eat
in their toddler and childhood years.
And they also hold the correct place for adult teeth
so that when they do erupt,
it doesn't result in overcrowding
and the need for potential orthodontic treatment
in the future.
Another activity that parents often find challenging
is introducing solids.
So, to make that process a whole lot easier for you,
make sure you check out this video.
Remember to click on the free PDF document
in the description box below
and I'll see you next week
where I'll share more parenting tips and tricks.