Brushing teeth..when to start?

[piper]

My LO is 20 mths and has 6 teeth. Got his first around his 1-yr bday. I have not done any brushing or cleaning. Was wondering when other moms started and what kind of brush did you use.

Also, its seems mixed info..can I use toothpaste or not?

Thanks alot for your help!!

[starbucks2]

Hi

I started a lot earlier with my second one. She is 1 year old now and has 6 teeth and am brushing hers twice a day - after lunch (before nap) and in the evening after dinner/milk before bed. I use a soft brush from B2B from Nam brand. It has a coloured handle with spots on it and I use the same kind of brush for my toddler's teeth as it is easy for him to hold. There are a lot of brushes to choose from at B2B but also at Watsons etc. I use a tiny smear of childrens toothpaste on the brush (can get the childrens toothpaste from Watsons). It says on the toothpaste to use a small amount for children who are too young to spit it out after brushing. My baby loves having her teeth brushed and after I brush them, I let her hold the toothbrush and show her how to use it.

SB2

[BLWC]

I was advised to start brushing my son's teeth as soon as he got them. We started with a small silicone toothbrush that fit on my finger so he'd get used to it. Now he's 1 and we use a Oral B baby toothbrush and baby toothpaste (from Mannings) and he brushes his own teeth (by chewing on the brush). He loves it and we do it twice a day.

http://typhoonsandtantrums.blogspot.com

[stamcel]

My son is 15mnths and has 12 teeth. We started brushing once at day at 11 months and just started twice a day this week. We uses a silicon brush at first and have now moved on to a brush....my son loves to brush his teeth,,...or rather suck the banana/strawberry toothpaste off of his brush.

[piper]

Thanks for your help. I will go and get him one tomorrow...

[peainpod]

Just a reminder that if you do get toothpaste, be sure to get one specified for toddlers. (Older children and regular toothpaste have flouride which is not meant to be ingested on a regular basis.) We also use this strawberry/banana one that comes in a light blue box and has a pic of the baby in front.

My son is past two so I took him to a paediatric dentist a couple of months ago for a proper check and he told me that while brushing with a toothbrush is good practice for them to learn, you could start with young babies by using your finger wrapped around a piece of wet gauze (wet with boiled cooled water if your baby is really young ) and no need for toothpaste.