When to start toothpaste for baby
When to Start Using Toothpaste
hi I'm dr. Douglas Keck participating
delta dental dentists and national
spokesperson for the American Academy of
pediatric dentistry as a pediatric
dentist I often get questions from
parents about oral health care for young
children for example when should they
start brushing their teeth and how much
toothpaste should they use as soon as
your baby gets his or her first two you
can start brushing any small size soft
bristle toothbrush will do although many
manufacturers make age-appropriate
models initially I tell the parents to
brush their babies Keith with just water
the action of brushing alone will remove
the plaque if I think that the child
might be at a higher risk of tooth decay
for any variety of reasons I will
recommend that they place a small smear
of fluoride toothpaste on the brush
because babies and toddlers don't yet
know how to spit they will end up
swallowing most of the toothpaste and
only a small amount is effective in
helping to prevent tooth decay some
infant variety toothpastes do not
contain fluoride these infant formulas
are all right if they are swallowed but
other than their cleaning action they do
not help prevent tooth decay if you
haven't yet started using fluoride
toothpaste at age to start using a smear
of fluoride toothpaste you don't need a
lot of toothpaste to be effective at
brushing just a small dab on the
toothbrush about the size of a pea will
do the job for three and four year olds
rush as usual for two minutes twice a
day you have your child's spit at the
end fluoride in toothpaste is helpful in
repairing tooth surfaces that are
damaged by bacteria in the mouth it's an
ingredient that has been helpful in
fighting tooth decay as with other
vitamins and minerals it's important to
get enough but not too much
when young children whose teeth are
still developing get too much fluoride
their adult teeth may erupt with faint
white lines or patches called dental
fluorosis your dentist can answer your
questions about fluoride and fluoridated
toothpaste he or she can also give the
child and parent brushing tips to help
them brush for the recommended two
minutes you may want to use a 2 minute
hourglass or play a favorite two minutes
off making sure your child brushes his
or her teeth twice a day with fluoride
toothpaste is a crucial part of
establishing and maintaining good oral
health starting this habit as early as
possible and help to ensure your child
continues in the right direction and
that's something to smile about
