A baby is a blessing and taking care of him/her is a sweet but sometimes savoury experience, yet it has a lot to teach us. If your baby is a toddler and you are waiting for his first tooth to arrive then make sure that you have searched for proper ways to take care of his dental health. And in case you haven’t, well we’ll tell you all about brushing baby teeth in this article.
Many parents think that it is not necessary to take care of their baby’s milk teeth as they will shed in future but it’s a wrong concept nevertheless. Let me tell you it’s extremely important to focus on your baby’s dental health. This will give the baby a healthy and hygienic style of living that will help in future as well.
Brushing baby teeth regularly will facilitate your baby’s speech development and nutrition. So, if you want your baby to be completely healthy and fine, then make sure to take proper care of your baby’s tooth brushing. Here you will get all the information related to your baby’s dental care and development.
When should you start brushing your baby’s teeth?
This is a genuine question which arises in every parent’s mind before they plan a baby teeth schedule for their child. Now, you may think that teeth cleaning should start after the baby reaches an appropriate age but wait, it is not true. Dentists suggest that tooth brushing should get started as soon as the baby’s first tooth arrives. But remember, you do not need to use a toothbrush for doing so because baby’s gums are too sensitive to face the rough toothbrush.
Instead, you can use a clean damp cloth or your fingers for cleaning newborn’s freshly arrived tooth after and before every meal. Brushing baby teeth at an early age gives him/her a chance to commemorate healthy habits easily.
One more question that lingers in parent’s mind is which baby teeth come in first? Although, it is not that much important but yet you may be eager to find it out. Typically, the lower front teeth or the lower central incisors are the very first teeth to come in (baby’s get all of their teeth at the age of around 3).
Which toothbrush and toothpaste should you use?
It is extremely important to take care of what kind of toothbrush you are using for cleaning baby’s teeth, that is if you’re not eager to follow the finger or damp cloth method. Dentists suggest using soft toothbrushes (which is sensible indeed) for baby’s teeth cleaning. The baby brush should be small in size so that it easily fits in your toddler’s mouth.
Talking about the toothpaste now, many parents often wonder whether it is safe to use fluoride pastes or not for a baby’s tooth cleaning. Relax! It is indeed safe and recommended. Fluoride pastes prevent cavities in teeth. But, be cautious about the amount of paste used. You can take a small grain sized dollop of paste at an early age graduating to a pea-sized dollop by the age of 3.
Most of the toddlers don’t know how to spit the paste after brushing. But, don’t worry because with such a small quantity, even if your boy/girl swallows the paste, it is not going to affect him/her much.
You should also brush your baby’s gums as they have an important part to play in the baby’s oral hygiene. If you are using a soft brush for your baby then it will not cause any damage to her gums. And, you can always use the finger otherwise.
Teaching baby how to brush?
Though brushing baby teeth is an activity that needs extreme care and precaution, one day you have to teach your child to do so. Some parents think that no other teaching activity is as difficult as teaching this. This is because many babies don’t like to brush. But nevertheless, it can be made enjoyable by using some fun ways. One idea is to brush in front of your child and let her know that you enjoy the activity a lot so that, your baby also develops a keen interest.
Many parents give their children fancy and attractive toothbrushes so that, they develop an interest in the activity. You can also give your kid a toothbrush with your baby’s favourite animation character printed on it. This will surely help.
Gum care
You can also brush baby’s gums as they are an important part to play in baby’s oral hygiene. If you are using a soft brush for your baby then it will not cause any damage to her gums. Brushing baby teeth is important but gums cannot be ignored. Cleaning baby’s teeth using a soft, moistened washcloth or gauze will wash away the bacteria. This will help in preventing the development of plaque on baby’s gums.
Cleaning your baby’s gums at least twice a day can help your baby in being hygienic all the time.
How to make brushing fun?
Some parents struggle to make their children brush their teeth because they don’t enjoy it but there are some funny and interesting ways through which you can make your child enjoy while brushing.
- Singing at the time of brushing can make your baby enjoy the activity a lot. You can sing your little one’s favourite tune or recite a poem that has the word brushing or teeth. It will give her a chance to love brushing.
- Playing with your baby can make her fond of brushing. Give her enough time to relax and play in between and then you will see a lot of difference in his/her behaviour.
Final words
A good future starts with a great present. If you want your child to be healthy in the future don’t forget to teach him healthy habits from the present itself. Don’t wait for your little one to grow old to learn all the important hygienic activities. Only if you will sow seeds of healthiness from an early age, your child will become a healthy person in future.
All the above-mentioned techniques are advised by dentists and paediatricians to help new parents in brushing baby teeth and incorporate good habits in him/her. So, follow them wisely.
