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
• 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