Brushing Baby's Teeth

Even babies benefit — now and in the future — from proper tooth care.
Here's how and when to start tooth brushi

Your baby's primary teeth may be only a temporary tool for chomping, to be replaced during the early school years by his permanent pearls. But it's no less important to take good care of them now and to establish the habits that will lead him toward a lifetime of dental health. Decayed or lost baby teeth can interfere with good nutrition and speech development, and by not holding a proper place for permanent teeth, they can make the permanent ones come in crooked.

WHEN TOOTH BRUSHING CAN BEGIN

Tooth brushing can begin as soon asthose pearly gems have poked through the gums. Use a clean, damp washcloth, a gauze pad, or a throwaway finger brush to gently wipe clean the first teeth and the front of the tongue, after meals and at bedtime. Toothbrushes — moistened with water and no more than a rice-grain size smear of fluoride toothpaste — can also be used, but they should be very soft and with no more than three rows of bristles (a pediatric dentist or your pharmacist can help you find the finger brushes and a proper baby toothbrush). Toss any toothbrushes that have become rough at the edges (or that are more than two to four months old, because nasty mouth bacteria can begin to build 

TEACHING BABY TO BRUSH BY HIMSELFYour older baby or toddler will probably want to try his hand at brushing himself; let him give it a go (if he has the dexterity and doesn't just get frustrated), but follow up with a more fastidious cleaning of your own, using a finger brush or gauze pad, before bed. To encourage his interest in dental care, try a fun brush with a favorite character and bright color (and let him watch Mommy and Daddy take good care of their own teeth, so he learns that it's a habit to keep for life).