Save the baby teeth!

baby-teeth-95035457Even though those teeth in your little one’s adorable smile are just temporary, we still have to take great care of them. How do you brush your kids teeth? Parents of toddlers probably want to ask: “how do you keep the baby from squirming away?” Parents of school-age kids probably would rephrase it: “How do you make sure they actually brush their teeth behind those close bathroom doors?” Parents of newborns probably ask: “When do you start brushing?”

When, What, and How: when do you start brushing and what do you need

Some pediatric dentists that I saw insisted on brushing teeth starting from day one: “Just run a gauze pad along the gums to remove sugar that is present even in breast milk after a feeding.” Some pediatric dentists just shrugged their shoulders at this suggestion: “If there are no teeth, what’s there to brush? Don’t waist your time.”
With my first one, I found these directions extremely confusing. Clean after each feeding? After night feedings? What if my baby was waking up to feed 10 times a night – clean those gums 10 times a night? Or ignore bushings completely?
Here are some recommendations from American Academy of Pediatrics (see it at What is the best way to take care of a young child’s teeth?) Birth to 12 months * Good dental habits should begin before the first tooth appears. After feedings, gently brush your baby’s gums using water on a baby toothbrush that has soft bristles. Or wipe them with a clean washcloth. * Ask about fluoride. After the first tooth appears, ask your child’s doctor if your baby is getting enough fluoride. Many experts recommend using a fluoride-free toothpaste before the age of 2, but check with your child’s doctor or dentist first. * Schedule your baby’s well-child visits. During these visits your child’s doctor will check your baby’s mouth. * Schedule a dental checkup. If your baby is at high risk for tooth decay, your child’s doctor will recommend that your baby see a dentist. 12 to 24 months * Brush! Brush your child’s teeth 2 times a day using water on a baby toothbrush that has soft bristles. The best times are after breakfast and before bed. * Limit juice. Make sure your child doesn’t drink more than 1 small cup of juice each day and only at mealtimes. * Consult with your child’s dentist or doctor about sucking habits. Sucking too strongly on a pacifier, a thumb, or fingers can affect the shape of the mouth and how the top and bottom teeth line up. This is called your child’s “bite.” Ask your child’s dentist or doctor to help you look for changes in your child’s bite and how to help your child ease out of his sucking habit. * Schedule a dental checkup. Take your child for a dental checkup if he has not had one. 24 months * Brush! Help your child brush her teeth 2 times a day with a child-sized toothbrush that has soft bristles. There are brushes designed to address the different needs of children at all ages, ensuring that you can select a toothbrush that is appropriate for your child. Encourage her to brush her teeth on her own. However, to make sure your child’s teeth are clean, you should brush them again. If your child doesn’t want her teeth brushed, it may help to turn it into a game. For example, the toothbrush can look upstairs and downstairs in the mouth for missing treasure in the teeth. * Use fluoride toothpaste. You can start using fluoride toothpaste, which helps prevent cavities. Teach your child not to swallow it. Use a pea-sized amount or less and smear the paste into the bristles. Swallowing too much fluoride toothpaste can make white or brown spots on your child’s adult teeth. If your child doesn’t like the taste of the toothpaste, try another flavor or use plain water. * Floss. You can begin flossing your child’s teeth as soon as 2 teeth touch each other. But not all children need their teeth flossed at this age, so check with your dentist first. * Schedule a dental checkup. Take your child for a dental checkup at least once a year.

My Personal Experience

We started wiping our baby’s gums almost from birth. Not after each feeding – it was too much, but as a part of nightly “bed-time routine”. We wanted our baby to get used to the invasions of some foreign materials into his mouth – namely the brush and the paste (originally, just a gauze pad). At first I did it after feeding, by bringing a cup of warm water with me after bath, dipping a gauze pad into it and quickly, gently wiping the gums. As soon as the baby could sit, I started incorporating it right in his bathroom: after taking the baby from a bathtub, I would sit him in a sink (NEVER LEAVE THE BABY ALONE IN HIS BATHROOM OR SINK – he can slip, fall or even drown in just a few inches of water). While the baby was examining his own reflection in the mirror, the sink, the toys that I’d throw in, I was wiping his gums, and later – brushing his teeth. Once he was old enough to hold a toothbrush, two toothbrushes appeared on his vanity table: one for me (to brush my son’s teeth), and another one for him – to try by himself! We introduced flossing around the same time. At first, it wasn’t a real flossing – more like putting it into the mouth, touching the teeth and quickly getting it back out. Once the baby was used to it, I had no problem really flossing his teeth. Now my second baby is seven months old. Every night, after his bath, he is sitting on a sink, playing with water, while I give him his multivitamin and wipe his gums (still not teeth). I like to wipe right after a vitamins, since it contains iron, that can stain the teeth. Water is so much fun, so entertaining, so educational! He doesn’t mind at all. With my first son, I used to even cut his hair, while he is sitting in a sink (clean up is easier), and I get a great view in the mirror at what I am doing. Now my older son is almost four. Every morning, every afternoon before his nap, every evening we go to brush his teeth. We still do it together: first I help him to get it really clean, afterwards he tries by himself. Once he is older, I plan to join him there with my own toothbrush: here, I brush mine, you brush yours. Kids love to learn by example: my son keeps begging my husband to let him shave himself too! Once he is old enough to do it without me, I just plan to let him do independently and to give him special chewing tablets, that color the teeth – if any specs of color are left after brushing, a more thorough job is required. I haven’t seen these tablets yet, but I’ve read about this idea in Barbora Coloroso’s, Kids are Worth It.

What if my little one refuses to do it?

I let my babies sit in a sink and play with water and toys. They were so distracted, they didn’t mind. I did it as quick as possible, following the golden rule: “Stop before your baby wants to stop.” Really worked! Letting kids watch you do it is another great incentive: kids love to copy their parents, so at some point my husband used to brush his teeth at the same sink, while I was brushing my son’s. Once the toothbrush was introduced, I gave them their own toothbrush to participate. They really loved chewing on it. Same with a floss: I use those Dentek flossing sticks and after I do the flossing, I just break off the sharp end and let the kids try. I still kept it as short as possible and made sure to stop before they got tired of it. That’s the time when we started introducing songs!

Toothbrushing songs

My older one LOVES singing, listening to songs, reading and singing, humming… We learn through songs, we do our errands with songs. We wash our hands with songs. We brush our teeth with songs. Our favorites: Great Duke of York – it’s perfect for movement of a toothbrush -up, down, left, right… At the end of it I usually feel like cleaning a little longer, so we sing the vowels, really stretching each one: I, A, O… while he is busy singing the vowels, I get a good chance to finish everything! I hope these words will help him later guide himself.
The great Duke of York He had ten thousand men He marched all the way up at the hill He marched them down again. And when you are up – you are up! And when you are down – you are down! And when you are only half way up, You are neither up, nor down!
This one my son brought from his preschool:Toothbrush Hokey-Pokey… Brushy-Brushy! I usually sing a middle portion quite a few times to increase the time that we spend brushing.
You put your toothpaste on, Watch it squeeze right out, Put your toothpaste on, and squish it all about! You do the Brushy, Brushy, and you move it all around, That’s what it all about! Brushy-Brushy! You put your toothbrush in, Don’t take your toothbrush out, You put your toothbrush in, and you scrub it all about. You do the Brushy, Brushy, and you move it all around, That’s what it all about! Brushy-Brushy! Now put some water in, don’t let the water out, Now put some water in, and swish it all about! You do the Brushy, Brushy, and you move it all around, That’s what it all about! Brushy-Brushy!
We added another verse for flossing:
You put your floss right in, You put your floss right out, You put your floss right in, you floss it all about. You do the Flossy, Flossy, and you move it all around, That’s what it all about! Brushy-Brushy!
Please share your own ideas below!