Caring for your child’s oral health
We recommend you start caring for your newborn’s teeth and gums as early as possible.
- After every meal and before bed, wipe their gums with your finger to get your newborn acclimated to cleaning their mouth
- We recommend scheduling their first visit to the dentist as soon as a tooth has erupted
- Teeth start to develop between 6 to 10 months of age – by age 3, they should have 20 baby teeth
- As their teeth come in, use a baby brush or wash cloth to clean their teeth after every meal and before bed
- You can start with just using water, then graduate to a small amount of Xylitol toothpaste
- For toddlers under age 3: apply toothpaste the size of a grain of rice
- For children age 3 and older: increase amount of toothpaste to a pea size
- You can start with just using water, then graduate to a small amount of Xylitol toothpaste
- Children have much thinner enamel and can decay quickly, so watch for white or dark spots
- Use dental flossers or floss to clean in between your child’s teeth
- Sonicare has a child’s toothbrush that connects to an app to promote brushing
- It is helpful to make cleaning children’s teeth fun as he/she gets older
- Ideas: sing silly songs, read books about teeth, etc.
- Try to avoid sticky types of foods such as candy, raisins, and gummy vitamins, as well as limiting exposure to sugar and processed foods